One innings cost us: Shakib
Comilla Victorians opener Tamim Iqbal saved his best of this edition's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for the final game with a magnificent, unbeaten 61-ball 141 to help defeat Dhaka Dynamites by 17 runs and clinch the title at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
Dhaka skipper Shakib Al Hasan also thought that the incredible innings of his national teammate had cost them the match, just like Rangpur Riders opener Chris Gayle's 146 undid Dhaka in last year's BPL final, and that they need to ensure that no one plays such innings in future finals.
"Obviously it feels bad to lose a final. I played in the last three finals, won the first one but lost the next two. It is sad but if I think from a different angle, then in T20 if someone plays such an innings -- Gayle's 146 last time and this time Tamim's 141 -- these two innings actually cost us the game. So from next time we need to try and ensure that no one plays such innings," Shakib said.
Throughout the tournament Dhaka have been relying on their all-rounder quartet -- Shakib, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine and Shakib said them not performing was costly.
"If you see in today's game maybe myself, Pollard, Narine and Russell could not score 20 runs altogether and we lost, I guess, by 15 [17] runs."
With the BPL done with, Shakib will be leaving for New Zealand tomorrow and said that the ODI series starting on February 13 could be challenging.
"I think playing without any preparation in New Zealand conditions will be challenging, but as we have been playing cricket I don't think we need to be too worried."
Man of the hour Tamim also talked about the New Zealand tour. "It is always good to have four or five practice sessions because we rarely tour New Zealand. But I will try to use my past tour experiences and make sure that I work hard in the one practice session we have and get ready mentally."
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