Towhid Hridoy - the future carrying Bangladesh's present at the T20 World Cup
Amid batting struggles throughout the T20 World Cup 2024, the most promising player for Bangladesh has been Towhid Hridoy. With an ability to withstand pressure, Hridoy has developed a liking for producing his best, when the chips are down.
Hridoy's unflinching spirit and hitting prowess have helped him become Bangladesh's preferred batter in the limited-overs since 2023. Learning from his inconsistency in the early part of his domestic career, he remodeled his approach to maintain his aggressive intent, which has reaped fruit for him in the international circuit.
However, Hridoy's performances in the showpiece event have been a result of his clutch knocks in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and enough exposure to international bowlers in the bilateral series.
But, how did the gradual transformation of Hridoy happen and he became a crucial cog in the Tigers' setup?
Towhid Hridoy's journey to being Bangladesh's mainstay in the middle-order
Hridoy's career took an uptick when he stunned the onlookers with his positive intent for the Sylhet Strikers in BPL 2023. The dashing batter displayed equally good ability to score runs on both sides of the wicket. Playing as an opener, he returned as third-highest run-getter in the tournament with 403 runs at a strike rate of 140.41, with a top score of 85*.
As a result, Towhid Hridoy made his T20I debut against England in March 2023. In the same month, Hridoy returned with the highest individual score by the country's batter in his debut ODI against Ireland ay Sylhet, when he slammed 92 off 85 balls. Interestingly, he played a key role in helping the Tigers construct their highest-ever ODI total of 338 and secure a biggest win in the format by 183 runs.
A couple of months later, in a T20I game against Afghanistan, Hridoy arrived to the crease at 39/3 in the seventh over in a chase of 158. He led a terrific turnaround to win the game for Bangladesh by slamming 47* off 32 balls and stitching a crucial 73-run stand with Shamim Hossain.
Then, Hridoy was immaculate with his consistency in the BPL 2024, as he garnered 462 runs at a strike rate of 149.51 for Comilla Victorians. During his season, he smashed his maiden T20 century as well.
Hridoy certainly exhibited proficiency by contributing at different batting position for his respective teams. As a result, the 23-year-old cemented his place in Bangladesh side.
Can Towhid Hridoy save Bangladesh's T20 World Cup campaign?
Coming into the T20 World Cup 2024, Hridoy emerged as the highest run-getter in Bangladesh's 2-1 T20I series loss to the United States of America in the bilateral series. He garnered 83 runs in two innings, with a top score of 58. Adding it with an imperious performance in BPL 2024, the right-handed batter must have been in good space leading up to the global event.
The first group game of the tournament saw Bangladesh reeling under pressure at 28/3 in pursuit of 125 against Sri Lanka. He started off with an elegant straight drive to get things going in the ninth over, and sent Wanindu Hasaranga's flighted delivery to the deep mid-wicket stands in the following over.
Hridoy made the chase easier for Bangladesh by slamming Hasaranga for three consecutive sixes in the 12th over. He made a sweet connection to slam two lusty maximums towards the deep mid-wicket and creamed the fuller ball to the extra-cover stand for a six in the third ball. Although, he was trapped LBW in the fourth ball, the Tigers sealed the chase with one over to spare.
In the next game, Bangladesh bowled well again against South Africa and were set up for a chase of 114. However, they were in a precarious situation, with 37/3 in the eighth over. In his only third ball, Hridoy slammed a maximum towards the straight boundary against Keshav Maharaj. After Najmul Hossain Shanto departed, he stitched a crucial partnership with Mahmudullah.
The 14th over saw Hridoy playing his trademark sweep shot for a six against Maharaj to bring back the momentum. Although, he was steering the team well, he was dismissed LBW by Kagiso Rabada for 37 off 34. Unfortunately, after his departure, the rest of the players crumbled under pressure and Bangladesh lost the game by four runs. A proven veteran like Mahmudullah failed to chase down 20 off the last three overs for the team.
Thereafter, Towhid Hridoy had indifferent outings of 9 & 9 against the Netherlands and Nepal. However, his earlier efforts played a key role in taking the team to Super 8.
In the first Super 8 game against Australia, Bangladesh started on a cautious note, accumulating 67 runs in the first 10 overs, losing three wickets in process. Hridoy arrived at the crease at this point and made sure to find boundaries off Adam Zampa in the following overs. Thereafter, the right-handed batter pushed the team's score by smoking a couple of sixes against Marcus Stoinis.
However, his innings was put to an end by Pat Cummins, after a well-made 40 off 28, which helped Bangladesh to post a respectable 140 on the board. With the right kind of aggression and game awareness, Hridoy played a terrific innings under pressure. Nevertheless, the second half witnessed Australia winning the game by 28 runs (D/L method).
Throughout the tournament, Bangladesh have suffered batting woes, with none of the batters showing consistency apart from Towhid Hridoy. The senior players like Shakib Al Hasan (100), Mahmudullah (76) and Litton Das (72) have been inconsistent with their contributions. Moreover, the team's skipper, Shanto has accumulated only 67 runs, which has put an impact on the team's overall total on the board.
Certainly, Hridoy, Bangladesh's top batter in T20 World Cup with 135 runs in five innings, needs support from the other end to give enough room for error for the bowlers. The Tigers will meet the in-form Indian outfit in a must-win game on June 22 in Antigua, which will decide if they progress into the knockout stage.
Currently, Hridoy carries the dreams of millions of Bangladeshis in their aspiration to see the country lift its first-ever ICC trophy. Will he be able to achieve it, the time will tell.