Bangladesh’s star player, Shakib Al Hasan, made history by becoming the first cricketer to take 50 wickets in the T20 World Cup. This happened during a tough match against India, where Bangladesh struggled in all areas of the game.

Shakib wasn’t at his best, giving away 37 runs in his three overs with an economy rate of 12.30. However, he did manage to take the important wicket of Indian captain Rohit Sharma. Rohit tried to hit a big shot but edged the ball, which was caught by Jaker Ali, making Rohit Shakib’s 50th wicket in the tournament. Shakib achieved this in his 42nd World Cup match.

The next closest player to Shakib Al Hasan’s record is former Pakistan player Shahid Afridi, who took 39 wickets in the T20 World Cup.

ALSO READ: Cricket Australia bans Victorian women’s coach Dulip Samaraweera for 20 years

In third place is Sri Lanka’s fast bowler Lasith Malinga with 38 wickets. Sri Lankan captain Wanindu Hasaranga is also close to Malinga’s record but couldn’t pass it as his team was eliminated early in this edition of the tournament.

Pakistan’s spinner Saeed Ajmal holds the fifth spot with 36 wickets in 23 matches.

Despite Shakib’s achievement, Bangladesh lost to India. After winning the toss, Bangladesh chose to bowl first. India scored 196/5 thanks to a strong innings by Hardik Pandya (50* off 27 balls), along with contributions from Virat Kohli (37), Shivam Dube (34), and Rishabh Pant (36).

In response, only Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto put up a fight with 40 runs, but the rest of the team couldn’t perform well. Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav played key roles in India’s comfortable 50-run victory.

The case was filed by Rafiqul Islam, whose son, Rubel, was killed on August 7 during protests in Bangladesh. Shakib is the 28th person accused in the case, which also includes former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina among the 154 people.

Shakib Al Hasan is currently in Rawalpindi, playing in a Test match against Pakistan. However, Rafiqul’s lawyers have asked for Shakib to be removed from the series and banned from cricket. A legal notice was reportedly sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

ALSO READ: Mohammad Rizwan throws his bat towards Babar Azam after declaration as Pakistan teammates react during 1st Test vs BAN

BCB president Faruque Ahmed said they haven’t received the notice yet but will review the situation after the ongoing Test match.

He explained that the board will make a decision once they have more information. They plan to address the issue during the break between the first and second Tests, which starts on August 30.

The complaint was filed by Rubel’s father, Rafiqul Islam, who said that hundreds of people, including Shakib Al Hasan and Ahmed, were involved in the crime.

Both Shakib Al Hasan and Ahmed were previously members of parliament from the Awami League party (ALP), which was led by Sheikh Hasina, who recently stepped down as prime minister after student protests.

ALSO READ: Shikhar Dhawan announces retirement from international, domestic cricket

The case also names former ministers and members of parliament, including Hasina, Obaidul Quader, and 156 others. About 400 unidentified people were listed as well. The complaint claims that Rubel was shot during a protest on August 5 and later died in the hospital on August 7.

It’s reported that Hasan was not in Bangladesh during the protest, as he was in Canada playing cricket.

Sri Lanka dominated the first match, winning by 328 runs, while Bangladesh struggled to perform well, failing to reach 200 runs in either innings. Shakib, who has been absent for over a year due to his duties in the Bangladeshi parliament, is set to rejoin the squad for the upcoming match.

“We’re lucky to have Shakib Al Hasan back in the team. His presence brings a lot of positivity and energy,” Pothas told reporters. “He has a wealth of experience that our younger players can learn from, and he’s always willing to share his knowledge. Having Shakib around is really beneficial for us.”

ALSO READ: ‘Only when you get success, do you get motivation’ – M Siddharth ecstatic after getting picked by LSG in IPL auction 2024

Pothas also defended Bangladesh’s young batsmen, explaining that the team is currently undergoing a transition phase with a new generation of players. “We have a young and inexperienced team now, compared to the past elite group. It will take time for them to develop and adapt to international cricket,” he said. “We ask for patience from the fans and supporters.”

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, expressed confidence in his team’s top-order batsmen ahead of the second Test in Chittagong. Despite some early dismissals in the first Test, De Silva believed his batsmen would perform better in the upcoming match.

In the previous Test, Sri Lanka’s middle-order batsmen, De Silva and Kamindu Mendis, stood out with centuries in both innings, becoming only the third pair from the same country to achieve this feat in a Test match. The other pairs were Greg and Ian Chappell of Australia and Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali.