From Sylhet Strikers to international cricket: Shanto, Hridoy, Mushfiqur setting the stage alight

A George Dockrell delivery in the 42nd over of the Bangladesh innings jumped off good length. Taijul Islam attempted to cut the ball but got an outside-edge and it hit Paul Stirling's cheek. Stirling was stationed at slip for exactly the same reason but didn't have time to react. Mushfiqur Rahim, who changed ends after taking a single off that ball, rushed to see if Stirling was okay. 

More than a decade ago, Stirling played in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for the now-defunct Sylhet Royals and Mushfiqur was the captain of the team. It was a beautiful little moment as it felt like a captain was checking on his teammate if he was fine.

Mushfiqur then played for another Sylhet-based franchise, Rajshahi Kings, Khulna Tigers and Beximco Dhaka and this year again returned to a Sylhet-based team, named Sylhet Strikers. He and his captain Mashrafe Mortaza found a bunch of youngsters in the team and with them almost won the BPL title.

Against Ireland in the second ODI, Najmul Hossain Shanto hit his maiden ODI hundred and Towhid Hridoy got his first half-century in a run-chase. Mushfiqur played alongside both of them in the BPL and the Sylhet Strikers trio came together to script a chase for the ages for Bangladesh.

Although 300-plus chases are not new in Chelmsford one-dayers, it was a big ask for Bangladesh. The required run rate was more than seven an over to start with. The openers - Tamim Iqbal and Litton Das - failed to set the tone again. Shakib Al Hasan, who famously hit an 83-ball hundred against the West Indies in Taunton in a 322-run chase, didn't score more than 26.

When the talismanic Shakib was dismissed in the 17th over, it was up to Shanto, Towhid Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim to pull off an uphill task. They did it a few times for Sylhet this BPL but this was an ODI game in unfamiliar conditions. 

At the start of this year, none of these three was in good form. Shanto had been one of the most criticised Bangladesh players. Mushfiqur had been going through an extended lean patch and even the board president was worried about his batting form. Hridoy was not even close to the national team.

But the BPL changed everything. The much-maligned Shanto became the first Bangladeshi player to score 500 runs in a BPL season and got the Player of the Series award. Hridoy featured in all the BPL XIs made by experts after the tournament for his breakout performance. 

Mushfiqur, into his mid-30s and already retired from T20Is, let Hridoy and Zakir bat ahead of him. His decision to leave his preferred position for the youngsters was lauded by Mashrafe as well. But he also had a point to prove. 

He scored 357 runs at an average of 40 and strike-rate of 132.7 in the BPL and there he showed glimpses of good form. 

Came the Ireland series and this time Bangladesh saw Mushfiqur leaving his preferred number five position for Hridoy and moving down to number six. Hridoy, hailing from Bogura just like Mushfiqur, repaid the faith and after some cracking innings at home against Ireland, he excelled overseas as well against them. 

The 117 tonight should be Shanto's finest knock in Bangladesh colours. Not only for the amount of runs but also for the authoritative presence in the middle. He was calm under pressure, never looked restless and the innings saw a coupling of class and power. 

Shanto's previous best score in ODIs was 73. He played a lofted on-drive off Josh Little for a six to go past that and it had class and elegance written all over it. The hundred came off 83 balls, exactly the same number of balls Shakib needed to get his hundred against the West Indies in the 2019 World Cup batting in the same position as Shanto - number three.  He now averages more than 50 and strikes at 87 in ODIs in 2023.

After Shanto's 117 and Hridoy's 68, Bangladesh still needed 63 off 8.1 to win with five wickets in hand. It was Mushfiqur's turn to finish the job. Mehidy Hasan Miraz departed after a brisk 12-ball-19 and exposed Bangladesh's tail to Ireland. 

Things became a little bit chaotic towards the end. Mushfiqur survived a very close run-out call and hit a high full toss (later called no-ball) straight to Curtis Campher. Niall O'Brien, who played a fair bit of cricket against Mushfiqur Rahim, recalled on air how Mushfiqur could not finish the game on a fateful night in Bengaluru in the 2016 World T20 against India. 

Bangladesh needed four off four and the experienced campaigner knew that a scoop shot was on. He got out many times before playing that shot but this time it went to the boundary, much to the delight of close to 4000 people supporting Bangladesh at the County Ground.

While speaking to Alan Wilkins after the match, Shanto praised Hridoy's intent and said the latter's presence made the job easier for him. The fact that they batted quite a few times together in the BPL helped them understand each other's game well. Their partnership was promising in the previous game as well but in this match they showed that they are ready to take the baton from the likes of Shakib and Mushfiqur.