The inclusion of young legspinner Rishad Hossain in Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup squad wasn’t surprising, given his strong performances in recent bilateral series.
However, there were concerns about whether he could handle the pressures of a major tournament like the World Cup.
Rishad silenced those doubts with a match-winning performance against Sri Lanka, announcing his arrival on the big stage.
Sri Lanka was 100/3 at the end of the 14th over when skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto gave Rishad his third over.
The legspinner dismissed Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga with successive deliveries, bringing Bangladesh back into the game.
In his following over, he removed Dhananjaya de Silva, delivering the final blow to Sri Lanka’s batting order.
Rishad displayed courage by enticing the batters to attack him, capitalizing on his 3.6-degree turn—the most by any spinner in this World Cup at Grand Prairie Stadium, surpassing Netherlands’ Tim Pringle (3.2), Pakistan’s Shadab Khan (3.0), and USA’s Harmeet Singh (2.4).
The 21-year-old, who earned the Player of the Match award for his figures of 3 for 22 against Sri Lanka, showed fearlessness against both left-handers and right-handers.
“When I bowl, I don’t think about right-handed or left-handed batters.
I focus on what the team needs from me.
I have no problem with either,” Rishad said.
“I don’t bowl out of fear.
I always try to get wickets for the team.
If I get a wicket, it can change the course of the game,” he added, expressing his joy over earning the Player of the Match award on his World Cup debut.
“Everything is fine, feeling good actually.
Becoming Man of the Match in my first World Cup match feels great.
I tried to understand what could happen on the wicket after delivering a few balls, and the rest is up to God’s will.”
Najmul expressed his confidence in Rishad, highlighting his preparation and dedication.
“I think he bowled exceptionally well and has been doing so in the last couple of series.
I like the way he prepares and practices; it’s very good.
We’ve struggled without a legspinner, and I think that gap is filled now.
I hope he continues to contribute in the coming matches.
“I always have confidence in him as he is a wicket-taking bowler.
Everyone knows it’s not easy to hit leg spinners.
You can hit one or two boundaries, but there’s always an opportunity to take wickets.
Whether it’s right-handed or left-handed batters, it hardly matters for him.
As a captain, I wanted him to pick one or two wickets, and he did that,” said Najmul.
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