In-form batsman Tamim Iqbal hoped that his century against Oman in the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier in Dharamsala is just the beginning of many more for Bangladesh.
Tamim unfolded a new chapter for Bangladesh, hitting an unbeaten 103 off 63 balls, the first ever Twenty20 international century for the country, which came in their 58th match.
The innings gave Tamim a few more records along the way and helped him join an illustrious group of just 11 cricketers, who have at least one century in all three formats.
Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Mahela Jayawardene, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Martin Guptill, Faf du Plessis, Ahmed Shehzad and Shane Watson are the other players to achieve the feat before Tamim.
The 27-year old left-hander believes that there are few other cricketers in Bangladesh who are capable of scoring a century in this format.
‘I feel really proud to score the first Twenty20 International century for Bangladesh,’ Tamim said after the match against Oman. ‘I just hope there will be many more centuries in future, especially the way Sabbir [Rahman] and Soumya [Sarkar] are playing. Also we have Sakib [al Hasan] and Mushfiqur [Rahim] to make it.’
Tamim became the highest run-getter for Bangladesh in all three formats even before he faced the first ball against Oman. His 47 runs off 26 balls against Ireland in the rain-ruined second match took him ahead of Sakib as Bangladesh’s most successful Twenty20 batsman.
He was already the highest run-getter in two other formats – Test and one-day international and the owner of highest individual innings for Bangladesh in all three formats.
His century against Oman, which took Bangladesh to the Super-10 phase of the ICC World Twenty20 with five points from three matches, only improved his personal record.
Tamim said he wants to take his record to such a height at the end of his career that anyone who attempts to break them it must work hard.
Not in a very distant past Tamim was criticised heavily by a section of fans for his indifferent form. The Bangladesh Cricket Board high-ups also joined chorus at times asking the selectors to drop him from the squad.
But Tamim said he accepted these criticisms in good spirit and decided not to pay any serious attention to them.
‘May be people criticised me because they expect more from me. Whenever I think about them they create extra pressure on me,’ said Tamim, who scored 233 runs in three qualifying matches at Dharamsala.
‘I have learnt from Mashrafee [bin Murtaza] Bhai not to think or talk too much about them. If I can do that I would be able to start my innings with at least with five per cent less pressure.
‘There will be good and bad time, but I shall focus on my own play.’
-With New Age input