Bangladesh national team captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes that leg-spinner Rishad Hossain can play a big role in the team鈥檚 success during the ICC Champions Trophy that starts with the match between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand at Karachi on Wednesday.
The Tigers will take on India in their first match on Thursday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.
However, they鈥檝e got a reality check as the Shanto-led team suffered a crushing defeat against Pakistan Shaheens by seven wickets in their only warm-up game on Monday.
The batters failed to stand up as Bangladesh managed only 202 runs in 38.2 overs. Shaheens chased that down in 34.5 overs.
However, Shanto & Co will depend on the young leg spinner Rishad when their main tournament begins.
鈥楻ishad, our wrist spinner, if he bowls well, we can be in a good mood in the team,鈥� Shanto said in a video released by the ICC on social media on Tuesday.
According to Shanto, a wrist spinner like Rishad will be a handy option in the flat wickets of Pakistan, where Bangladesh will play two group-stage games.
鈥楤ecause we all know in Pakistan how good the wicket is. So, a wrist spinner is more important in this tournament,鈥� said Shanto.
鈥楽o, I鈥檓 really looking forward to Rishad鈥檚 performance and how he will bowl in this tournament.鈥�
Rishad, despite being a regular in the T20I squad, has yet to make his mark in the 50-over format. He has so far played seven ODIs, where he took five wickets.
Rishad鈥檚 other team-mates are also excited about his prospect in the tournament, as opener Soumya Sarkar echoed captain Shanto, terming Rishad as a game-changing option.
鈥楢 wrist spinner is always a game changer, so we are looking forward to Rishad,鈥� Soumya said in the video.
Pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib also spoke in the same video, showering praise on Rishad. He also underlined Rishad鈥檚 importance as a handy batter lower down the order, saying that the 22-year-old has been impeccable in clearing the ropes with incredible聽ease.
鈥業 think Rishad Hossain, our leg-spinning all-rounder, is going to play a very important role for our team,鈥� Tanzim said.
鈥楬e always gives us the breakthrough, and with the bat, he always gives us the runs when we need.鈥�
Rishad played a vital role in the recently concluded BPL鈥檚 final with the bat, where his team, Fortune Barishal, retained the title.
The leg-spinner bowled five overs in the warm-up game against Shaheens but remained wicketless.