Tamim Iqbal

Tamim Iqbal Biography

Arguably the current best batsman of Bangladesh, Tamim Iqbal was born on 20^th March 1989 in Chittagong. The left-handed opener has been compared to the likes of Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Sachin Tendulkar due to his aggressive stroke play right at the outset of the innings.

Tamim holds the record of being the second Bangladeshi player to be named in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack and Wisden’s Test Player of the Year in the year 2011.

Early Days

Nephew of former Bangladeshi captain Akram Khan, Tamim already had the potential to attain glory flowing in his gene pool. His father used to host small cricket tournaments in order to train his sons as Tamim's brother, Nafees was also a Test cricketer for Bangladesh.

Tamim began his first-class career playing for his home side, Chittagong Division in 2004. Consistent performances for his team earned him a seat in the Under-19 Bangladesh squad for the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Playing at the age of only 17, Tamim displayed immense courage and confidence when he hammered 112 off just 71 balls to carry his team to victory against England. His phenomenal batting did not go unnoticed and he was soon called to the national team.

Debut

Tamim made his debut in the third ODI in Bangladesh’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2007 at the age of 18. Although he scored only 5 runs, selectors saw his potential and included him in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup squad.

With the world now as the audience, Tamim announced his arrival in style. When Bangladesh beat India in the group stage, Tamim was at the forefront, scoring 53 to propel his team to victory.

His Test debut soon followed in 2008 against New Zealand, where he scored half centuries in both the innings and the world gazed upon a new star. His maiden century came in a Test against West Indies in 2009, where his efforts carried Bangladesh to their first overseas win.

Rise to Glory

Establishing himself as a reliable opener, it was now time for Tamim Iqbal to climb up the stairs. When Charles Coventry equaled Saeed Anwar’s record of the highest score in ODIs (194) in a match against Bangladesh in 2009, Tamim responded with an aggressive counter attack. He piled up a mammoth 154 and Bangladesh won the match.

In 2010, he became the fastest Bangladeshi batsman to reach 1000 runs in Test cricket, taking only 19 innings to achieve the feat. With two back to back centuries against England, Tamim was handed the onus of vice captaincy.

The year 2011 saw him becoming the only second Bangladeshi player to play county cricket when he was signed to play for Nottinghamshire. Wellington Firebirds singed him in 2012, thus making him the first Bangladeshi player to play in New Zealand’s domestic league.

After a quiet 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, Tamim was back with a bang in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, where he was the top scorer and also became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to score a hundred in T20.

In 2017, he became the first Bangladeshi player to score 10000 runs in international cricket. He was also named in the World XI in the same year.

Low Points

In 2014, Tamim was diagnosed with a tear in the left knee that kept him out of the team for several months. He was back in time for the World Cup in 2015, but failed to perform.

In late 2016, he suffered a fracture on the little finger and was out for three weeks. However, he did not regain his touch until March 2017, when he scored 207 runs in two matches against Sri Lanka.

Club Career

Tamim Iqbal has played for Duronto Rajshahi, Chittagong Vikings, Chittagong kings and Comilla Victorians(current) in the Bangladesh Premier League. He plays for Peshawar Zalmi in Pakistan Super League.

Iqbal's Record in Numbers

Tamim Iqbal holds the record for being the highest individual run scorer for Bangladesh in international cricket. He also holds the record for the highest number of centuries for Bangladesh with 17 centuries in all formats to his name.