It was even surprising to Imrul Kayes himself. Before coming to Chittagong, Imrul had 33 one-day internationals to his name which featured six fifties and a century. But none of them had won him any man of the match award.
Imrul will return to Dhaka after winning the man of the match award in two back to back matches and that too in two very crucial matches in the Bangladesh’s cricket history.
‘Really I am passing a very good time. In the first match here against England, it could have easily been Shafiul. But I think today I deserved it more than anyone else,’ Imrul told reporters after his 73 not out against the Netherlands on Monday.
Imrul made 60 against England, but Bangladesh still needed some guts from Shafiul Islam to eke out a two-wicket win. On Monday, they however did not suffer any more hiccup as Imrul returned to the dressing room after completing the job.
Imrul is only the second Bangladeshi batsman to score back-to-back fifties in the World Cup after Minhajul Abedin, who smashed 68 not out and an unbeaten 53 runs respectively against Scotland and Australia in 1999.
Imrul is also the second Bangladeshi to win two man-of-the-match awards in the World Cup after Mohammad Ashraful, who got it against Bermuda
and South Africa in 2007.
Imrul, however, refused to get carried away after his performance in Chittagong.
‘No doubt it gives me some confidence. But I don’t like to be overconfident, which is always dangerous. So I want to forget it and start afresh in the next game,’ said Imrul.
Courtesy of New Age
