Right-handed opener Munim Shahriar, who performed well in the recently-concluded Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), made it to the Bangladesh T20 squad for the two-match series against Afghanistan.   Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the 14-member squad on Monday evening. The series will be played in Dhaka on March 3 and 5.  “It was a dream come true,” Munim told to UNB in his first reaction. “I would justify my inclusion doing well for the national team. If I get a chance to the playing XI, I will try my best to do well.” Munim, the 23-year-old batter, has the ability to hit the ball like no other in Bangladesh. He played some stunning innings in BPL while opening for Fortune Barishal along with Chris Gayle.  He played six matches in the last edition of BPL and scored 178 at a strike rate exceeding 150— second-best by any batter played in this year’s BPL who scored at least 178 runs. He smashed 13 sixes in this year’s BPL too.  Born and brought up in Mymensingh Munim was first inspired by his father to play cricket, he said recently to the media.  Read: BAN vs AFG 2022: Attainable Milestones for Bangladesh Players in the Afghanistan Series Bangladesh superstar Shakib Al Hasan recently praised Munim saying that the batter could be the biggest discovery of this year’s BPL.  Not just Shakib or the cricketing fraternity of Bangladesh, Munim received praise from a fraction of global cricket supporters too. Watching him playing well in BPL, many praised him on social media platforms.  During his early days in cricket, Munim represented the Bangladesh U-19 team. Along with Munim, uncapped Yasir Ali has also been included in the squad.  Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Aminul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain and Saif Hassan, who were the parts of the Bangladesh squad when they played T20Is for the last time, have been overlooked.  Bangladesh squad for two-match T20Is vs Afghanistan:  Mahmudullah Riyad (Captain), Liton Das, Munim Shahriar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Yasir Ali, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shohidul Islam, Mohammad Naim. 

Promising young batsman Munim Shahriar continues to shine for Abahani Limited. After hitting an unbeaten 92 in the last game, he hit 74 off 40 on Monday to guide Abahani to a 49-run win under the DL Method over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.  With this win, Abahani became the number two team in the points table of the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League after Prime Bank Cricket Club. Abahani now have won seven games in nine rounds of the league.  Abahani won the toss and opted to bat first, and they posted a huge total of 183 runs riding on the Munim and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Munim ended up on 74 off 40 with nine fours and three sixes while Najmul remained unbeaten for 65 off 42 with six fours and two sixes. Along the way, Munim completed his fifty off 24 balls, which is now the fastest fifty of Dhaka League so far.  For Sheikh Jamal, Ebadot Hossain, Salauddin Shakil, Nasir Hossain and Ziaur Rahman took one wicket each.  READ: Rony, Shoriful star in Prime Bank win After the rain hit the game, Sheikh Jamal needed to score 148 in 13 overs as per the DL Method, but they tumbled for 98 for eight in 13 overs and lost the game by 49 runs under the DL Method.  In the other games on Monday afternoon, Gazi Group Cricketers beat Partex Sporting Club by nine wickets under the DL Method while the match between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Brothers Union ended up in no-result due to the rain.  READ: Mushfiqur named ICC Player of the Month for May Partex batted first after losing the toss and posted 109 for seven in 20 overs. This match was hit by the rain as well, and the target of Gazi was reduced to 47 runs in eight overs as per the DL Method. Gazi chased down this target with nine wickets in hand. 

Promising Munim Shahriar blasted a new Dhaka League-best, scoring 92 off 50 balls with nine fours and five sixes for Abahani Limited, to guide them to a 30-run win over Prime Bank Cricket Club on Sunday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.  In their last game, Abahani lost to Mohammedan Sporting Club at the same venue. But this time around, they made a good comeback to winning ways.  Abahani won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted a challenging total of 183 for three in 20 overs, with Munim hitting the highest, 92, and Najmul Hossain Shanto scoring 30.  READ: Bangladesh will undergo one-day quarantine in Zimbabwe Munim’s 92 is now the highest individual total in Dhaka League to date.  For Prime Bank, left-arm seamer Shoriful Islam bagged two wickets conceding 38 runs while Alok Kapali took one.  In reply, Prime Bank needed to score 174 in 19 overs under the DL Method, but they tumbled for 143 for six in 19 overs, with Tamim Iqbal scoring 55, and Mohammad Mithun posting 34.  For Abahani, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Aminul Islam took two wickets each while Mohammad Saifuddin and Arafat Sunny took one wicket each.  READ: BCB stages a trainwreck around Shakib’s latest episode In the other matches on Sunday evening, Gazi Group Cricketers beat Khelaghar Samaj Kalyan Samity by five wickets riding on Mahmudullah Riyad’s unbeaten 58 off 48 balls with three fours and two sixes while Brothers Union beat Shinepukur Cricket Club by one run under the DL Method, with Mizanur Rahman, captain of Brothers, scoring 79 off 56 with 10 fours and two sixes.