Shanto on his match-winning 71 against Zimbabwe: It was my best innings, very special

After Bangladesh struggled at 32 for two in the PowerPlay, Shanto fought back with Shakib Al Hasan and added 56 runs for the third wicket to put Bangladesh back on track.

Published : Oct 30, 2022 15:22 IST , BRISBANE

Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto scored crucial 71 runs during the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2022 match against Zimbabwe at The Gabba on Sunday in Brisbane.
Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto scored crucial 71 runs during the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2022 match against Zimbabwe at The Gabba on Sunday in Brisbane. | Photo Credit: AFP
infoIcon

Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto scored crucial 71 runs during the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2022 match against Zimbabwe at The Gabba on Sunday in Brisbane. | Photo Credit: AFP

The word ‘ Shanto’ means peaceful, calm and quiet in Bengali. But at the Gabba on Sunday, Najmul Hossain Shanto made some noise with the bat and scored his first T20I half-century, paving the way for Bangladesh’s three-run win against Zimbabwe in a T20 World Cup fixture.

After Bangladesh struggled at 32 for two in the PowerPlay, Shanto fought back with Shakib Al Hasan and added 56 runs for the third wicket to put Bangladesh back on track.

That partnership proved pivotal for the team, and Shanto’s 71 eventually helped the side reach 150 runs. “For me, it was my best innings because this was my first half-century in T20 international cricket, so very special,” Shanto said.

While admitting that the side was perhaps 15-20 runs short, Shanto said that the team was confident of defending the total. “Our bowling department bowled very well. Everyone - Mustafizur (Rahman), Taskin (Ahmed) - bowled really well. The good thing is that everyone supports each other, so we are improving now and only getting better,” he said, adding, “We will try to play some good cricket in the next match…”

“When we win matches, it obviously boosts the morale of the team and going forward, this will certainly help us. We can walk into the coming days, buoying with confidence. We can work on a few aspects of the game and there’s definitely scope for improvement,” Shanto said, adding the team dreams of making it to the semifinal. “We have that dream, but we don’t want to think too far ahead and take one game at a time…”

Bangladesh plays India next in Adelaide on November 2.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment