Mohammad Mithun is relieved after a successful Asia Cup outing
It took a long period of four years for Mohammad Mithun, the new batting sensation of Bangladesh cricket team, to earn a recall to the national ODI side after being discarded back in 2014. The right-handed batsman never lost his patience to work hard, never looked reluctant to continue playing and never fell short of inspiration. His stubborness to stay steady has paid off finally as he feels that he has found his new version after a successful campaign in the Asia Cup.
Mithun kicked off his ODI career back in 2014 but failed to impress the management as he scored only 26 off 39 balls on debut. The batsman did not get a chance to bat in his second match, and afterwards, he lost the path. He did not get another chance until the tri-series final against Sri Lanka earlier this year. A long time of four years passed between his third and fourth ODI.
After showing exemplary patience and being consistent in domestic cricket, Mithun earned another lifeline in his ODI career. The Bangladesh selectors considered him for the Asia Cup and Mithun did not disappoint this time around.
When Bangladesh lost three early wickets in the Asia Cup opener against Sri Lanka, including Tamim Iqbal's retired not out, Mithun and Mushfiqur Rahim stitched a partnership of 131 runs. This rescue act helped Bangladesh gather a challenging total of 262 on the board, and that proved enough to beat Sri Lanka.
Mithun hit his maiden ODI 50 in the encounter, and it proved his temperament in the toughest stages of the game. The right-handed batsman repeated the same fierceness in the Super-Four contest against Pakistan as well. When Bangladesh were in dire need of a win to see themselves in the finals of the tournament, Mithun hit the second fifty of his ODI career.
On this occasion, Bangladesh lost the first three wickets within 12 runs. They were at a precarious situation and looked set to leave the contest. In this crunch moment, Mithun showcased his ability to adapt once again, and partnered Mushfiqur for a 144-run stand.
In an interview on Sunday at Mirpur, the right-handed batsman insisted that the success in the Asia Cup gave him the much-needed confidence.
"As a human being, I am same as I was before. But, as a batsman, I went through a change during the Asia Cup that gave me confidence. Now, I have the belief to do well in a big stage of the game." Mithun stated.
The right-handed batsman is being considered as the number five batting option for Bangladesh in the World Cup that is set to take place in England next year.