Tamim Iqbal informed the BCB president last year that he was not keen on playing the T20 format for the Bangladesh national side, emphasizing the upcoming young talents to fill his shoes in the opening slot. The veteran batter missed all bilateral Twenty20 series following the Covid-19 outbreak, including the 2021 T20 World Cup, but did not formally retire from the format until Saturday (July 16). Tamim officially quit T20I international cricket by posting a short message on his verified Facebook account. Will BCB find any potential replacements for Tamim Iqbal in the T20 format?
A look at Tamim Iqbal’s T20I career
Tamim Iqbal made his T20I debut against Kenya in September 2007 and played his last match in the format against Zimbabwe in March 2020. The veteran left-hand opener is the only player to score a century for Bangladesh in the T20 format, achieving the feat against Oman (103*) in the 2016 ICC World T20.
Tamim Iqbal finished his T20I career as the third-highest run scorer of Bangladesh, behind Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan. Tamim also holds the record of three of the top five best T20I innings by Bangladeshi players.
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Bangladesh’s top five T20I run scorers
Player
Match
Runs
HS
SR
Mahmudullah
118
2043
64*
117.88
Shakib Al Hasan
99
2010
84
120.86
Tamim Iqbal
74
1701
103*
117.47
Mushfiqur Rahim
100
1495
72*
115.44
Soumya Sarkar
66
1136
68
122.15
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
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Tamim Iqbal’s potential suitors in T20I cricket
There are hardly many choices available for the opening slot in Bangladesh’s T20I lineup. Litton Das is most likely to open the innings for Bangladesh in the coming fixtures. The selectors, therefore, have to find a suitable partner for Litton in the T20 format. To keep the 2022 T20 World Cup in mind, the BCB needs to pick a player from those who have played for the national side in the last 18 months. The BCB selectors may want to have a look at the following options.
Mohammad Naim
T20I batting stats since January 1, 2021
M: 28 | Runs: 590 | HS: 64 | Ave: 21.85 | SR: 98.82
Left-handed batter Mohammad Naim started his T20I career with a lot of promise. Though Naim’s recent performances have been below par. He has been given the most chances (28 matches) to open the innings for Bangladesh. However, Naim’s strike rate is under 100, and the average is just over 20. With the current form, Mohammad Naim’s chances of making the playing XI in the coming fixtures are highly unlikely.
Read Tamim announces T20I retirement
Munim Shahriar
T20I batting stats since January 1, 2021
M: 3 | Runs: 23 | HS: 17 | Ave: 7.66 | SR: 74.19
Munim Shahriar was given a chance in the Afghanistan series after a brilliant performance in the BPL 2022. He has so far played three T20Is for Bangladesh and hasn’t made any significant impact with the bat. The BCB may give Munim Shahriar more chances in the coming twenty20 fixtures to showcase his talent on the international stage.
Anamul Haque
T20I batting stats since January 1, 2021
M: 3 | Runs: 29 | HS: 16 | Ave: 9.66 | SR: 116.00
Anamul Haque had a fantastic start to his international career but couldn’t keep up the momentum later and subsequently lost his place in the national team. He recently had a record-breaking season in the DPL 2022. Following the 2022 DPL season, Anamul was given another chance on the just-concluded West Indies tour. He once again fell short of expectations, though. Anamul may be given a few more chances in the upcoming T20I matches.
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Najmul Hossain Shanto
T20I batting stats since January 1, 2021
M: 1 | Runs: 5 | HS: 5 | Ave: 5 | SR: 11.11
Najmul Hossain Shanto’s chances to find a place in the opening slot are very slim as he is considered for the longer-version format. However, the BCB may turn their attention to him if others fail to live up to their expectations.
The above players’ overall T20I statistics
Player
Match
Runs
HS
SR
Mohammad Naim
34
809
81
103.71
Munim Shahriar
3
23
17
74.19
Anamul Haque
16
384
58
117.79
Najmul Hossain Shanto
6
76
40
100
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
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Aftermath
The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s selections have experimented with a number of players to fill Tamim Iqbal’s opening position. However, none of the opening batters has been consistent enough over the course of Bangladesh’s 32 games during the past 18 months. Therefore, finding a suitable alternative for Tamim Iqbal in the opening position of the T20 format may not be possible any time soon. Bangladesh may struggle in the top order at the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in the absence of Tamim Iqbal, who used to anchor the innings to the end.
Source: United News of Bangladesh