Mahedi Hasan creates history: Bangladeshi spinner breaks Harbhajan's 13-year-old record
Mahedi Hasan's 4-11 statistics broke a record set by Harbhajan Singh in 2012, as Bangladesh triumphed by 8 wickets in the T20I series final in Colombo.
Ankush Pandey
Mahedi Hasan, a spinner, helped the Tigers win the game and the series with a tiny piece of history at the R Premadasa Stadium by starting with statistics of 4-1-11-4 in the decisive Twenty20 International match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Mahedi smashed a record that Harbhajan Singh had held for a long time by opening the bowling from one end.
Mahedi dismissed four of Sri Lanka's top five batsmen in the final match in Colombo, limiting the Lankans to a meagre 132/7 thanks to his economical four-wicket haul, which he did while delivering two overs during the powerplay.
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Mahedi's outstanding stint at the R Premadasa Stadium eclipsed Harbhajan's record as the visiting bowler with the highest figures in a Twenty20 International match.
At the 2012 T20 World Cup, Harbhajan had woven a web around England, taking four wickets while giving up just 12 runs. Before Wanindu Hasaranga destroyed India's batting with incredible numbers of 4-9 in a 2021 series, the Indian spinner had the record for best record for any bowler.
Over the years, players like Mahedi's countryman Mustafizur Rahman (4-21) and Josh Hazlewood (4-16) have challenged Harbhajan's record for visiting players, but the Bangladeshi tweaker broke it.
Mahedi's excellence derails Lankan top order
Kusal Perera, who batted at number three, was removed on a golden duck in the second over of the innings by Mahedi, setting the tone.
In the fifth over of the powerplay, the spinner would return to remove Dinesh Chandimal before adding the names of Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka and bowling out opener Pathum Nissanka, who was then batting at 46, after being caught.
Surprisingly, Mahedi played in his first game of the series, which has included three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Test matches. After replacing seasoned all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, he made an instant impression on his team and made sure they could hit a reasonable goal in the second innings.
Opener Tanzid Hasan began the chase with the bat and scored 73* off just 47 deliveries in an innings that featured six maximums. Running down the target with 21 deliveries remaining, the visitors lost just two wickets and won the series and the match in Colombo.
