'We cried': Mahmudullah recalls Bangladesh's T20 WC loss to India
What's the story
Former Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah has recalled the loss to India in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup. The match, played in Bengaluru, was a close one with Bangladesh falling short despite being in a winning position. Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim were unable to finish the chase, which left a deep impact on him. He called it a "tragic" and "extremely heartbreaking" experience that taught him an important lesson in cricket - to take matches till the last ball.
Match impact
We cried on the ground, says Mahmudullah
Mahmudullah, on the podcast that aired on Thursday, recalled the emotional aftermath of their loss to India, saying, "We cried on the ground. When we got back to the hotel we cried." He added that it was a life-changing lesson for him personally. The former cricketer admitted he was thinking about winning with just one boundary at that moment, which he now considers "dumb."
DYK
What happened in that game?
Chasing 147 in that game, Bangladesh required 11 off the final over. Much to Bangladesh's delight, Rahim smashed Hardik Pandya for two consecutive boundaries, bringing down the equation to two runs required off three balls. However, the fourth and fifth ball saw both Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah getting caught in the deep. On the last ball, Dhoni miraculously made a run-out at the striker's end as Bangladesh lost by a solitary run.
Personal sacrifices
Sacrifices for the team
In a recent podcast episode, Mahmudullah opened up about his batting position and the sacrifices he made for the Bangladesh team. He said, "Deep inside I wanted to bat at number four or five. But I never raised my voice like that." The former cricketer revealed that he often found it hard to say no to Mashrafe Mortaza when asked to change his batting order.
Training ban
Not allowed to train at Mirpur
Mahmudullah also spoke about the pain of being told he couldn't train in Mirpur after being dropped ahead of the 2023 World Cup. The veteran batsman said he was disappointed by what had happened six months earlier, even though he was eventually recalled for the tournament and ended up as Bangladesh's highest run-scorer.
Retirement decision
Thankful to BCB for Test chance
Mahmudullah thanked former BCB president Nazmul Hasan for giving him a chance to play his last Test match. He admitted that he had lost the desire to play Tests after being ignored by the team management. The veteran cricketer revealed that he had told his wife before going on that tour, "This is my last Test," and was uncertain about playing it due to lack of practice with the red ball.