World Cup: Najmul Hossain Shanto slams his sixth ODI fifty
Bangladesh have kick-started their 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign on a high, recording a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Afghanistan. Batting sensation Najmul Hossain Shanto was instrumental to their triumph as the southpaw slammed a brilliant fifty. He returned unbeaten on 59 off 83 balls, a knock laced with three boundaries and a six. Here we look at his stats.
A steady knock from Shanto
Chasing 157 in Dharamsala, the Tigers lost two early wickets as Shanto walked in with the scorecard reading 27/2. He joined forces with Mehidy Hasan Miraz (57) as the duo added 97 runs for the third wicket, virtually sealing Bangladesh's win. Though Shanto played the second fiddle in the partnership, he eventually shifted gears and played some delightful shots.
1,000 ODI runs loading for Shanto
Shanto, who made his ODI debut in September 2018, has been among the runs lately. He has now raced to 967 runs in 31 ODIs at an average of 33.34. His strike rate is 78.55. While this was his sixth ODI fifty, the youngster also owns two tons in the format. The 25-year-old would like to improve his numbers going forward.
Most ODI runs for Bangladesh in 2023
Shanto has been taking rapid strides at the international level. In 16 ODIs this year, the young batter has raced to 757 runs at an excellent average of 54.07. No other Bangladesh batter has scored 600 or more runs this year. All of Shanto's eight fifty-plus scores in ODI cricket have come in 2023. The tally includes two tons.
How did the game pan out?
Afghanistan were off to a steady start as openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (47) and Ibrahim Zadran (22) negotiated the new ball well. They even seemed well placed at 112/2 at one stage. However, a shocking collapse meant Afghanistan lost their last eight wickets inside 44 runs. In reply, Mehidy and Shanto helped the Tigers cross the line in 34.4 overs.
