Chronicles of Tigers most successful cricketing year

The exquisite 2018 is the year to be written with golden letters for Tigers. Lots of cricketing folks had been created by the boys in Red and Green. It's the attempt to look back their majestic cricketing journey round the calendar.

It's huge to count
The newly finished year was the most successful one for Bangladesh. They played eight Tests, 20 ODIs and 16 T20i matches and won in 21 international clashes with maximum 13 in the one-dayers having fabulous 65% winning rate. The previous highest ever winning counts for them were in 2015 when they registered 20 wins from 48 appearances in total.
Tigers made it 'three in three' among the bilateral ODI series of the year. They beat Windies 2-1 in the first ODI duals of the year in July receiving Caribbean hospitality followed by 3-0 win against Zimbabwe and 2-1 victory over Windies at home in November-December.
The Caribbean conquer in July was the first ever series win for Tigers outside Asia after 2009, who also clinched T20i title abroad half a decade later. The 2-1 series triumph against Windians in Florida was the lone T20i title of the year for them.
In red-ball cricket, Tigers clinched first ever Test conquest over Windies at home on November 26 and locked the maiden innings victory in Test cricket in the very next clash against same rivals. They also swept Zimbabwe cleanly in the second last three-match elite series of the year.
Tigers played final of both the two tri-nations of the year they partaken. One at home in February-March accompanying Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. They lost the final against Sinhala boys by 79 runs. Another triangular clash was the Nidhahas Trophy, the Independence Cup of Sri Lanka, in which Tigers received Lankan hospitality along with India. Shakib and co. lost in the final that was pretty close to triumph; in fact, the super man Dinesh Karthik snatched the fate of the game winning the last-ball nerves test.
The Asia Cup 2018 also slipped thru their grip. They reached the final of the biggest Asian face off for the third time and remained satisfied with runners-up title. Bangladesh once again failed to grasp the trophy in the last-ball acid test.

Most roaring Tigers     
Mahmudullah is on top of the T20i run collectors list for Tigers with 414 from 16 matches. Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal are following Riyad with 397 and 356 respective gatherings from equal appearances. Mustafizur Rahman, however, is leading the T20i bowling chart with 21 dismissals from 13 games followed by Shakib and Rubel with 15 and 13 wickets from 11 respective participations.
Spin-rich Bangladesh showed reverse scenario in One-day format with the orb. The fizz, Rubel and skipper Mashrafe are the top three ODI wicket takers by means of 29, 26 and 23 individual preys. Mushy, Tamim and Shakib are the big fishes for Bangladesh, in terms of ODI runs. The trio batting pillars poured 770, 684 and 497 runs in their successive willows.
In the longer version, two Test specialists are leading two tables. Mominul Haque with his 673 runs became the topper followed by 490 from Mushfique and 476 from Mahmudullah while Taijul Islam is sitting at the top of the Test bowler list with his 43 wickets. Miraz is very close to him with 41 hunts followed by Shakib with 17 dismissals.
Combining all three formats, Mr. Dependable Mushfiqur Rahim is the leading run-scorer with 1657, which is the record of the most international runs by any Bangladesh batsman in a cricketing year. Mahmudullah is breathing on his shoulder scoring 1309 runs. No surprise to find Tamim and Shakib among the top five batters, except Liton Das. Liton is at four for his 977 international runs. Tamim and Shakib are holding the 3rd and 5th places on the chart with successive assembles of 1201 and 958 runs.
Young sensation Mehidy Miraz is leading the combined bowling card with 61 wickets followed by Mustafizur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam and Rubel Hossain having 57, 53 43 and 36 wickets next to their names.

Injury was the mightiest opponent
Bangladesh players suffered with fitness throughout the year. Speed star Mustafizur Rahman sustained injury during his last IPL game of 2018 representing Mumbai Indians outfit. The subsequent tests revealed a crack on his left big toe, which sidelined him for a couple of months and missed the T20i series against Afghanistan.
Earlier in the year, national side cricketers namely Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahamed and Mehidy Miraz were ruled out from BCL matches for injury. Rubel also missed the home series against Zimbabwe in November for fever.
Injury in Tigers tent became 'headlines' when top Tigers like Shakib and Tamim went out of action and Bangladesh engaged in very crucial battle like the final of the Asian Drama sans their sharpest weapons.
The ace all-rounder Shakib sustained finger injury during the final of the ODI tri-series at home in January against Sri Lanka. He then missed the T20i series at home against Sri Lanka and joined with the team in the midway of Nidahas trophy. He played next two series against Afghanistan and Windies pushing pain healing injection.
But situation deteriorated during the Asia Cup. So, he was ruled out of the tournament before the virtual semi-final of the tournament between Bangladesh and Pakistan. After one and a half month's hibernation for finger surgery, Shakib returned in international action with the Windies series in November.
Tiger opener Tamim Iqbal also had to return home from the UAE sustaining wrist injury in the inaugural match of the Asia Cup between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on September 15. A rising delivery of Suranga Lakmal in the second over of the innings hit the left wrist of Tamim that rushed him immediately to the hospital for nursing. The wound pulled him out of action for three months. He too, returned in action with Windies tour in Bangladesh.
Mushfique played all the matches of the Asia Cup amid chest pain. Mashrafe also played last couple of series with half-fit physical condition.

Tamim displayed utmost dedication
Tamim Iqbal has added another degree of cricketing emotion in the Bangladesh cricket history and sets example of batting with one hand accompanying fracture on another.
The sensational cricketer sustained injury on his left wrist in the second over of the innings that sent him sideline but came with the bat in the last ball of the 47th over and faced the last delivery of Lasith Malinga and added 32 runs in the last-wicket partnership with  Mushfiqur Rahim. Bangladesh smashed Sri Lanka in that match by 137 runs and the brave Tamim won the heart of millions of cricket fans around the globe.
Bangladesh soared highest ever Test ranking
Bangladesh squeezed up the eighth position in the ICC Test ranking in May. They took 18 years to raise the height after getting the Test Status in 2000 and lingered one-time's cricketing superpower West Indies. But Windies regained their spot two months later with 2-0 clean sweep against Bangladesh in the Caribbean Islands in July.
Bangladesh thus, ended the year remaining at ninth in the ICC Test teams ranking, who steadied their seventh position in ODI ranking and occupied tenth place in the T20i ranking.

Lots of Guinea-pigs there
Bangladesh called 34 players in the squad, among them 28 played and made seven debuts in the tri-series and bilateral clashes against Sri Lanka at home in February-March, which is a strange record for any Test playing nation. Nazmul Islam Apu was the best finding of the experiment, though.
The BCB continued lab works throughout the year to make the pipeline more vigorous and to find out the alternatives of fantastic five. They were proven successful with some lads.
In dearth of Shakib and Tamim, Saifuddin and Mohammad Mithun were very consistent that created healthy competition in the team. Saifuddin was outstanding with both the bat and ball, who has been considered as the best pace bowling all-rounder of the country after Mashrafe.
Besides Apu, Shadman Islam and Nayeem Hasan were two more potentials to trace out for Tigers. Shadman got his maiden Test fifty on debut against Windies while Nayeem hauled five wickets on debut against same opponents.

Openers are always problematic for Bangladesh
Bangladesh had a long term problem with opening pair. Tamim didn't get his perfect match in one decade's international career. Many promising names came but faded with the passage of time. Shariar Nafees, Rajin Saleh, Anamul Bijoy, Jahurul Islam, Liton Das, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Fazle Rabbi and even Mehidy Miraz were opened for Bangladesh. From the long list, Soumya, Liton and Imrul shone at a time and created dilemma for selectors, especially in the series against Windies when Tamim made his comeback from injury.
Imrul Kayes scored 144, 90 and 115 in three matches against Zimbabwe. Soumya Sarkar had a ton in the last ODI appearance against Zimbabwe, who spread run fountain against Windies as well. Liton is going through his spring. He is the fourth highest scorer of the year among Bangladesh batsmen. BCB selectors, however, remained above of all arguments keeping all four openers in the 15-man squad and Bangladesh think tank kept all four openers in the playing eleven against Windies in the ODI encounters.
Thus, the opening scarcity in Bangladesh treasury converted into surplus!

Spin Quartet
Bangladesh came-up with 'spin quartet' for the first time in their span of red-ball cricket. Skipper Shakib, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Miraz and Nayeem Hasan were the four pillars of the Tigers bowling unit in the last Test series of the year against West Indians.
The four serpents of Bangladesh twirled visiting batters and set a new history to take all the 40 wickets of opposition side in a two-match Test series with their hex. Miraz preyed 15, Taijul 10, Shakib nine and Nayeem took six wickets.


Mashrafe Bin Mortaza,
captain leads from the front

Reached 250 ODI wickets landmark as the first Bangladesh bowler picking up the Hasmatullah Shahidi's wicket of Afghanistan during the Asia Cup.

In his 70th ODI match as captain of Bangladesh, Mashrafe soared at the highest peak in number and success rate. Under his leadership Bangladesh came out victorious in 40 occasions with above 58% success rate.

The opener of the three-match ODI series against Windies on December 9 was the 200th ODI match for Mash, who leads the Tigers as the captain in the third and final ODI for the record 70 matches.

Shakib Al Hasan glorifies more

Made the very distinctive all-round feat of 300 wickets and 4k runs in T20 cricket as the 2nd cricketer in the World after Caribbean all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. He reached his 4000 T20 runs' landmark against KKR on April 14, who preyed Rohit Sharma as the 300th T20 wicket in the IPL match between Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians on April 24.

Broke rare some record of 200 wickets and 3,000 runs in Test cricket playing the least number of matches. He took 54 matches to soar on the height of great honour to break the record of English great Sir Ian Botham.
As the third player in the international cricketer history, he claimed 500 wickets and 10,000 runs after Jacques Kallis and Shahid Afridi in all formats.
Became the first player in the T20i history to score 40 plus runs and take five wickets in a match against Windies on December 20.


Mushfiqur Rahim outclasses himself

Became the first Tiger to engrave twin double-hundred in Test. He illuminated 219 runs' figure next to his name against Zimbabwe in November, which is the highest individual Test innings by any Bangladesh batsman. He is the solitary wicketkeeper in the world to score double-century in elite cricket twice.

He touched the 5000 ODI runs' cornerstone during the Bangladesh-Afghanistan battle in the Asia Cup.
Mushy became the third Tiger after Shakib and Tamim to reach 10,000-run club during the second ODI against Zimbabwe in November.
Assembled 4000 Test runs as the second Bangladesh batsman in December against Windies.


Fairytale Debuts

Nayeem Hasan got 93rd Tigers Test cap against West Indies and made an unforgettable international appearance recording the youngest five-for holder at the age of 17 years and 356 days. He is the eighth Bangladesh player to get five wickets on debut.  


Run spout from Imrul Kayes

Imrul Kayes accrued 349 runs from the three ODIs against Zimbabwe. It was the highest individual collection from a three-match series by any Tigers batter and second highest in the world after Sarfaraz Ahmed (360) of Pakistan.

Tigers quintet's 100 joint venture

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullha Riyad were to dossier the stunning record of playing 100th international matches together on December 11 against Windies. The 'Pancha Pandavas' featured in 70 ODIs, 29 T20 internationals and one Test jointly.


Miraz opens with bat and ball

Mehidy Hasan Miraz became the first Tiger to opening both the batting and bowling innings for Bangladesh on September 28 in the final of the 14th Asia Cup final between Bangladesh and India.