Bangladesh beats Sri Lanka by 137 run in the Asia Cup opener

Bangladesh cricket team started their Asia Cup campaign with an amazing 137-run win over Sri Lanka on Saturday (September 15) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

Winning the toss, Bangladesh ODI skipper, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, decided to bat first. Tigers could manage to score 261 runs losing all wickets in 49.3 overs. Mushfiqur Rahim played his career best innings of 150-ball 144, including 11 fours and 4 sixes. It was his sixth ODI century. However, on his way to scoring ODI hundred, he got two lives on 10 and 85. He along with Mohammad Mithun shared a 131-run partnership for the third-wicket stand. Mohammad Mithun scored his maiden ODI fifty. He scored 63 from 68 balls. 

Despite Mushfiqur scoring century, Tamim Iqbal got the maximum media publicity. Photos and videos of this southpaw batting with one hand spread across the social media. His wrist was hit by a delivery from Suranga Lakmal, forcing him to retire hurt. After the departure of Mustafizur in the 47^th over, he came to bat with one hand, allowing Mushfiqur to score as many runs as possible and make his highest ODI score before he was caught on the boundary with three balls left in the innings. He scored 2 runs facing four balls and remained unbeaten.

Lasith Malinga finished with an impressive bowling figure of 4-23 in 10 overs. With this match, the 35-year-old fast bowler made his return to ODI cricket from retirement. He played his last ODI in September last year. Suranga Lakmal, Amila Aponso and Thisara Perera took one wicket each.

In reply, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 124 in 35.2 overs, Dilruwan Perera top scoring with 29 runs. Apart from him, two other players reached 20 for Angelo Mathews’ side. It was Bangladesh’s seventh win in 45 ODI matches against Sri Lanka.

For Bangladesh, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took two wickets apiece while Shakib Al Hasan, Rubel Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain equally shared three wickets.

Scorecard link- http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8532/scorecard/1153243/bangladesh-vs-sri-lanka-1st-match-group-b-asia-cup-2018-19

Source- https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/cricket/2018/09/15/bangladesh-to-bat-first-against-sri-lanka-in-asia-cup-opener

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/45536128

Unilever is the new sponsor of Bangladesh Cricket

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) fell in a big trouble after Robi Axiata Limited, a telecommunications company, terminated its contract with the cricket’s governing body prior the stipulated time. Robi’s second time two-year contract was supposed to be extended till the 2019 World Cup. However, BCB did not have to wait for a long time as they got a new title sponsor for the national cricket team within 11 days after the telecom giant brought an end to its deal. 

Unilever Bangladesh Limited, a prominent consumer goods company based in Dhaka, has become the new sponsor of the Bangladesh cricket team. This sponsorship deal was signed on Thursday (September 6) by BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury and Unilever Bangladesh’s Finance Director Zahidul Islam Malita on behalf of their respective sides at BCB Management Office at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka.

Unilever’s journey with the national cricket team will start with the 2018 Asia Cup beginning from September 15 and will continue till January 2020. As per the agreement, logo of its product, Lifebuoy, will be shown on their jerseys. Because of this deal, the Bangladesh women’s cricket team, Bangladesh A team and the Bangladesh U-19 team will also have to carry the company’s logo.

Source- https://www.daily-sun.com/post/334214/2018/09/06/Unilever-becomes-Bangladesh-cricket-team-sponsor

https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/cricket/2018/09/06/unilever-becomes-tigers-new-sponsor

Mominul Haque is added to the Asia Cup 2018

Since the announcement of the Bangladesh cricket squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2018, Mominul Haque has been in talks. Despite his eye catching performance during Bangladesh A’s recent tour of Ireland, the diminutive player was not selected in the squad. He scored 297 runs at an average of 74.25 in four innings, with his career best List A innings of 183 off 133 balls. The 26-year-old player has so far played 26 ODIs, last of which is played during the 2015 World Cup. 

That is why, when cricket loves saw him not being selected in the squad, they became surprised and at the same time angry. They even raised the question of their selection process. However, he has been added to the Asia Cup squad as the 16^th player. The main reason behind taking him to the squad is to keep him as backup to several players carrying injuries. The best thing of Mominul Haque is that he can play in top order, either as an opener or in one-down position. His inclusion will help the selectors to replace any of the injured players in the tournament.

Opener Tamim Iqbal, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and uncapped player Nazmul Hossain are carrying injuries. For this reason, their participation in the 14^th edition of the Asia Cup is uncertain. Shakib, the premier all-rounder, in a recent interview with The Daily Star said he is 20-30 percent fit. However, his statement has been denied by Coach Steve Rhodes saying that the player is a lot fitter than that. Rhodes also said, “He is not fully fit. But if he plays anything like he played in the Caribbean, then that will be a massive asset to Bangladesh cricket.”

Shakib wanted to skip the Asia Cup and go under a finger surgery. But because of the insistence of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), he agreed to play in the tournament, delaying his surgery till October when they will host Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh has been drafted along with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in this six-nation tournament, which will kick off from September 15 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Source- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/injury-hit-bangladesh-recall-mominul-haque-for-asia-cup/articleshow/65719856.cms

Asia Cup 2018: India declares a 16-man squad without Virat Kohli

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2018, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named a 16-man squad in Mumbai on Saturday. This squad will be led by Rohit Sharma because India’s regular skipper Virat Kohli has been given rest after a straining England tour. MSK Prasad, BCCI chief selector, has taken this decision considering the workload of the player. The decision will help the board to preserve some of its valuable players. Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan will be seen playing the role of vice-captain. 

Khaleel Ahmed is the only uncapped player in this squad. The 20-year-old left-arm medium pacer caught the attention of the national team selectors with his performance in the Under-19 World Cup in 2016 taking 12 wickets in three innings, including 3 for 29 against Sri Lanka in the final of the Tri-Nation Under-19 tournament in Colombo.

Ambati Rayudu makes his comeback in the team after two years as the 32-year-old middle-order batsman played his last international match in June 2016. He has replaced Suresh Raina who was also replaced by the same player in the recently concluded England series.

The defending champions, India, will start their Asia Cup campaign with the match against Hong Kong on September 18 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

India squad for Asia Cup 2018: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan (VC) , KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed.

Source- https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/rohit-sharma-to-lead-indian-squad-for-asia-cup-118090100379_1.html