Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik lavished praise on Mushfiqur Rahim as he became the first Bangladesh player to score 5000 Test runs for his country.
On the latest episode of The ICC Review, Karthik spoke highly of Mushfiqur and his achievement of 5000 Test runs. Karthik also said that youngsters can learn from him as he's been the 'torchbearer' for Bangladesh for many years now.
"For any batter, scoring 5000 Test runs is a fantastic achievement, and what he has achieved is phenomenal. Whenever you are a flag bearer or a torchbearer or doing something first, you are always looked up to and revered, and that is definitely the case with Mushfiqur Rahim. A lot of youngsters try and emulate him in that part of the world and really enjoy him as a player. He has been very consistent and has scored in Bangladesh and outside Bangladesh as well," Dinesh Karthik said of Mushfiqur in The ICC Review.
Mushfiqur has also led Bangladesh in international cricket, and being a wicketkeeper-batter himself, Karthik said Rahim can be very proud of himself for playing that for a period of 17 years.
"He has led the country for a long time and has got a lot of credentials to hold up in good stead over a period of time, so I think he can be very proud of himself. When you play for a period of 17 years, especially as a wicketkeeper-batter, it can take a massive toll on your body. He must know his body very well; otherwise, it is very hard to keep playing at the international level for so long.
"When you go through his record in the game and compare it to other captains, I don't think it will stand out at any point in time, but for Bangladesh, I think he has done really well," added Karthik.
Even though the Bangladesh Test team didn't enjoy a lot of success in the red-ball format under the leadership of Mushfiqur Rahim, still Karthik feels that the 35-year-old's tenure as captain helped Bangladesh to do well in Test cricket.
In the ongoing first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Chattogram, Mushfiqur managed to score his eighth Test hundred before getting bowled by Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya.