Who is Bangladesh cricketer Jaker Ali? Decoding his stats
Bangladesh's batting sensation Jaker Ali played a valiant knock, albeit in a losing cause, in the opening T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet. He played an attacking knock, rescuing the hosts who were down to 68/4 while chasing 207. Although Bangladesh fell three runs short, Ali impressed many with his 34-ball 68 (4 fours, 6 sixes). It was his maiden T20I fifty.
His stunning knock in 2nd T20I
Bangladesh were tottering on 68/4 when Ali arrived in the middle. He joined forces with Mahmudullah and tried to consolidate with a brief 47-run stand. The former did not get any potent support thereafter, however, he continued to fight alone. He went big in the end overs. Dasun Shanaka dismissed him in the last over as Bangladesh lost by three runs.
Ali's four-match T20I career
Ali, a right-handed batter, made his international debut for Bangladesh in the 2023 Asian Games Men's Cricket Competition. In four T20Is, he has amassed 106 runs at a strike rate of 137.66. The one against Sri Lanka was his maiden half-century in T20I cricket. Notably, Ali has been dismissed only once in the format (14*, 24*, 0*, and 68).
Ali closing in on 900 T20 runs
Ali burst on to T20 cricket during the 2018/19 Bangladesh Premier League. He recorded a golden duck playing for Sylhet Sixers against Rangpur Riders. In 67 T20s, Ali has racked up 892 runs at an average of 28.77. He strikes at 124.75, while his tally includes four half-centuries. With the wicket-keeping gloves, Ali has recorded 32 dismissals (five stumpings).
Over 500 runs in BPL
Apart from representing Sylher Sixers, Ali has played for Comilla Victorians, Dhaka Platoon, and Khulna Tigers in the BPL. He has racked up 526 runs from 46 BPL encounters at a strike rate of 133.16 (one century).
His First-Class and List A numbers
Ali has also featured in 48 First-Class and 82 List A encounters as of now. The right-hander has scored 2,690 runs at 39.55 (three centuries) in red-ball cricket. He owns 1,821 runs in 50-overs cricket at 33.72 (two tons).
Decoding Ali's rise in professional cricket
Born on February 22, 1998, Jaker Ali made it to First-Class cricket for Sylhet Division in the 2016/17 National Cricket League in December 2016. He made his List A debut later that season. Ali was a part of Bangladesh's squad for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. He earned his maiden call-up to the national side for the T20I series against Ireland in March 2023.
