Tigers Profile: Imrul Kayes
He is one half of Bangladesh's most successful opening pair, one of their longest-serving players with a career just short of nine years and counting, while also being the nearly man of Bangladesh cricket.
A bundle of contradictions, Imrul Kayes has played 31 and missed 48 of Bangladesh's Tests since his debut in South Africa in November 2008. There is good reason for him being the nearly man, because he has had long, unproductive stretches. His first half-century came in his 12th match, against England at Lord's in May 2010, the match in which his opening partner Tamim Iqbal scored that famous century. It was also a match where the duo put on stands of 88 and 185, and that is where Imrul's value truly lies.
Although his first Test century, against Sri Lanka in Chittagong 2014, was scored at number three he has otherwise formed the country's best opening partnership with Tamim, the peak of which was a record 312-run fourth-innings partnership in Khulna against Pakistan in 2015 with Imrul's contribution being 150.
He has enjoyed limited success in ODI cricket, with an electric century against England in October 2016 a special highlight. However, a Test average of 26.55 and ODI average of 28.75 mean that Imrul may well continue to be the nearly man.
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