Shakib Al Hasan became the second Bangladeshi batsman after Tamim Iqbal to reach the milestone of 6000 runs during his side’s crucial World Cup match against West Indies at the Coopers Associates County Ground in Taunton on Monday, reports BSS.
In form Shakib began the match with 23 runs shy of reaching the milestone and as he completed those runs chopping a length delivery off fast bowler Oshane Thomas to third man region for two runs.
As Bangladesh lost an early wicket in the chase of 322 runs when Andre Russell got the better of Soumya Sarkar with a short ball, Shakib gave the chase an impetus with free flowing batting alongside Tamim Iqbal.
This World Cup however seemed to turn out to be a milestone tournament for the ace all-rounder.
Earlier, he reached the milestone of 5000 runs and 250 wickets as the fifth cricketer of the world when he claimed the wicket of Aiden Markram in Bangladesh’s first match of the World Cup against South Africa. He achieved the feat faster than the other four cricketers-Sanath Jayasuirya, Abdul Razzak, Shahid Afridi and Jacques Kallis-who also hold this rare record.
Thereafter when Bangladesh played their second match of this World Cup against New Zealand, Shakib became the third Bangladeshi cricketer to play 200th ODI.
In Bangladesh’s third match against England, he became the only second Bangladeshi cricketer to hit a World Cup century after Mahmudullah Riyad. By hitting 121 off 119, Shakib also became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to hit three fifty plus score in a row in World Cup.
Bangladesh’s fourth match against Sri Lanka was washed out due to heavy rain, which only could prevent Shakib from reaching some more milestones.
Before achieving the feat of 6000-run, Shakib claimed 2-54 with his wily left-arm spin that took his wicket tally to 28 in 25 matches of the World Cup. He now stands at eighth position in all-time leading wicket-takers in World Cup amongst the spinners, surpassing Pakistani leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed (26) and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuirya (27).
Sri Lanka’s legendary off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is in the top place among the spinners with 68 wickets from 40 matches.