In the second ODI against Ireland on Monday (March 20, 2023), Mushfiqur Rahim set a record-breaking milestone for himself while helping Bangladesh earn their record total run in ODI. Mushfiq scored a hundred from 60 balls, making him the owner of the fastest century ODI by a Bangladeshi batter. Mushfiq Broke Shakib's 63-Ball Fastest Century Record After having a great performance in the first ODI, Mushfiq continued this in the second match too. Mushfiqur achieved the remarkable feat of 7000 runs in ODI in the second game of the three-match ODI series against Ireland. He took the 9th century of his ODI career from 60 balls with one run in the last ball of Bangladesh's innings. Earlier in this edition, Mushfiqur's last century was against Sri Lanka in Mirpur in May 2021. Mushfiqur started the second ODI with 6945 runs in 228 innings in 243 matches. He just needed 55 runs to reach the 7000 runs milestone. While he was on 52 off 34 balls, Mushfiqur hit 7,000 runs after hitting Curtis Kampfer on his knees for a four over mid-off. With that four, he met this milestone in the 229th inning in 244 matches. Read More: Bangladesh Make Two Changes to Squad for Third ODI Against Ireland On his way to a half-century from 33 balls, Mushfiqur scored 32 runs on the boundary, and he hit 5 fours and 2 sixes. However, Mushfiqur had previously scored fifty from 32 balls against Pakistan in the 2014 Asia Cup, which was the highest strike rate in his ODI career.

Bangladesh triumphed over Ireland in the first ODI, proving themselves superior in all areas. The record-breaking score was achieved via aggressive batting. And the bowlers, especially the pacers, were a phenomenon. This follows their prior success in T20, where the pacers played an effective role in whitewashing England in T20. Now, Bangladesh is looking forward to keeping its playing style and winning the series today (March 20, 2023). Bangladesh vs Ireland 2nd ODI Preview The second match of the three-match series is scheduled to start at 2 pm on Monday, March 20, at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. However, there is a high chance of rain during that time. Also, there is a possibility of rain in Sylhet throughout the day. According to the forecast, the rainfall will be higher on Monday than on Sunday (March 19). A thunderstorm could be on the horizon, and the rain is set to become heavier after 6 pm, so the officials may find it difficult to finish the match on time. For Bangladesh, however, there is not much tension about the match being washed away. Tigers take a 1-0 lead in the series after winning the first ODI. If this match is washed away, the risk of losing the series will be eliminated. BAN was dominant in the first game of the series against IRE, and now they look to secure the trophy by securing a win in the second match. The team, led by Tamim Iqbal, put up a spectacular display, with Shakib Al Hasan's 93 runs off 89 deliveries and Towhid Hridoy's 92 runs off 85 deliveries leading the way. Mushfiqur Rahim also contributed to the success of the Bangla Tigers, as they posted 338 runs on board at the end of their 50 overs. So, if the second match takes place, Bangladesh will surely try to repeat the first’s match aggressive performance. Read More: Shakib completes BBA from AIUB On the other hand, the Ireland team has much to improve. Neither their batting nor their bowling was successful in their last encounter, resulting in a 183-run loss. This Ireland squad comprise some young players with a lack of experience playing so many ODIs. However, with the ODI World Cup coming up, this is a major chance for them to become familiar with the environment and do well in subsequent matches. So, they will certainly try to improve their playing style in the upcoming matches. However, Ireland will have to overcome a few factors. Bowlers like Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Nasum Ahmed are a big challenge for any team touring Bangladesh. However, it was the Bangladesh pacers who did the main damage to Ireland with a good batting wicket at the Sylhet International Stadium. As Ireland did not expect such a condition, in addition to the spinners, now Ireland also needs to think about the Bangladesh pacers. Although Bangladesh is almost at full strength, Ireland is not getting their best all-rounder Joshua Little on this tour due to IPL. It has been seen over the years how much of a difference he can make, whether it's playing for Ireland or whether it's in franchise cricket. So, Little’s presence could have increased Ireland’s strength. Read More: Bangladesh crush Ireland by 183 Runs in 1st ODI BAN vs IRE 2nd ODI Pitch Report Sylhet is renowned as a great place for batters to play. In the most recent match, Bangladesh put up an impressive total, which indicates that another high-scoring game can be expected. A score of 300 runs or more is considered a good one here, so whoever wins the toss should go bowling first. Players to Watch in BAN vs IRE 2nd ODI Shakib Al Hasan Shakib is a highly experienced all-rounder, and he is currently performing at an impressive level. In his last four matches in the 50-overs format, he has scored 234 runs, posing him a threat to the Irish team in their upcoming game. Ebadot Hossain Ebadot Hossain, the speedster, took four wickets in the previous match, totally destroying the Irish batting lineup. He can do the same in the second game too. Read More: Towhid shines on debut as Bangladesh post record total against Ireland Graham Hume Graham Hume became the first bowler of Ireland to take four wickets in ODI against Bangladesh. Apparently, Hume understood the Sylhet pitch better than any other Iris bowler. So, Bangladeshi batters will have to care about his bowling. George Dockrell George Dockrell was largely responsible for the Irish being able to extend their innings to 155 runs. The Irish innings came to a halt when Dockrell was bowled in the 30.5 overs of the innings by Ebadot. But, before that, Dockrell scored 45 of 47 balls. So, he might push more in the second match. BAN vs IRE 2nd ODI Probable Playing XIs Bangladesh (BAN) Tamim Iqbal (c), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Yasir Ali, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Ebadot Hossain, Nasum Ahmed. Ireland (IRE) Paul Stirling, Stephen Doheny, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Gareth Delany, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Graham Hume. Read More: Shakib Al Hasan reaches 7000-run milestone in ODIs Final Words In the first match, the performance of the Bangladesh team was great. The Tigers' game began with a few wickets lost, but Shakib and Hridoy put on an impressive batting display, with Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali following the pattern with a particularly aggressive approach. The veteran players displayed a strong mentality in their batting. On the other hand, Ireland should have noted their mistakes and come back with great energy. So, it is expected that the BAN vs IRE 2nd ODI will certainly be a competitive game.