Uprising of the green tigers

       Currently many of the cricket lovers might know how Bangladesh cricket team are going on great strides following their superb performance against top team in ODI and T20 forms of cricket and slowly started erasing their minnows tag.

Khaled Mahmud

       I don't know how many of them might know when Bangladesh started their giant killing act,It all started during the 1999 world cup,Bangladeshi tigers shocked 1999 worldcup runner up Pakistan by posting a meager target of 223,Bangladesh bundled out Pakistan for a mere 161 in what was considered as one of the biggest upset of all time,thanks to the current Bangladesh's assistant coach Khaled Mahmud and Mohammed Rafique, who bowled some brilliant spell that lead to this victory.

Mohammad Rafique

            It lead to Bangladesh getting International test status,In their maiden test match against India Bangladesh  put up brilliant 1st innings total of 400 runs with the help of beautiful 145  runs by the middle order batsmen Aminul Islam.While India replied with a total of 429 runs.While Bangladesh failed to transform their brilliant display in their 1st innings to their 2nd innings as they were bundled out to 91 runs in their 2nd innings.Finally india won that match by 9 wickets.

        It followed by a huge slump by bangladesh cricket team for nearly the next 5 years. Then came the rising stars of Bangladesh cricket viz Mashrafe mortaza (current odi and t20 captain) , Mohammed ashraful and Aftab ahmed.In a triangular odi series involving England and Australia.Ashraful's terrific ton helped Bangladesh defeated Australia in what was considered as huge upset as Aussie were playing with their full strength squad losing to a minnow.It followed by a win against Srilanka and also a 2nd string Indian team and during that match current Indian captain Mahendra singh dhoni made his international debut on a losing effort.

           Biggest shock came in the 2007 ODI world cup,when Tamim Iqbal's wonderful fifty helped Bangladesh produce a huge upset victory over a strong Indian team led by Rahul Dravid,that led to India exiting the world cup  in the round robin stage,while Bangladesh progressed to the super 8 stage for the first time and produced another enthralling victory against the Proteas team in the super 8 stage,while they lost rest of their matches against all teams that includes the defeat against new entrant Ireland.

          While Bangladesh produced a superb victory against a formidable westindies team in the inaugural 2007 T20 worldcup which was won by India.Bangladesh formed a good combination with a new crop of players viz all rounder shakib al hasan,wicket keeper batsmen mushfiqur rahim,During the 2011 worldcup,where the tigers defeated England for the first time in the history of cricket,while Bangladesh team weren't able to progress to the next stage as usual.

       

Bangladesh's upset victory over India in 2012 Asia cup

   
        During the 2012 Asia cup, Bangladesh defeated both srilanka and India.Where sachin Tendulkar scored his 100th ton on a losing effort.Bangladesh reached the final of the asia cup for the first time and lost to Pakistan in a hard fought battle.

From left to right:-Shakib Al Hasan,Mashrafe Mortaza,Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal

          While 2015 can be termed as golden age of Bangladesh cricket under the captaincy of Mashrafe Mortaza.Where they defeated a powerful English unit that led to Bangladesh getting their first quaterfinals spot in a 50 over worldcup,where they eventually lost to India in the quaterfinals thus getting knocked out of the 2015 worldcup.

            With new crop of superb players rising,Bangladesh whitewashed Pakistan in a home odi series 3-0. Rookie fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman who made his debut against  home ODI series versus Indian team punished India with his superb swing bowling and excellent batting by mushfiqur rahim,shakib al hasan and sowmya sarkar led to Bangladesh registering their first ODI series against India 2-1.Which was followed by another big odi series win against the South african team with a margin of 2-1.Which led to Bangladesh reaching their highest rank of number 7 in the international odi ranking, thus qualified for the 2017 champions trophy for the first time in the history of Bangladesh cricket and also started showing the world cricket that they aren't minnows any more.

Upcoming talent Mustafizur Rahman

               2016 also started on a good note for Bangladesh as their junior team led by all rounder Mehdy hassan helped Bangladesh finished a remarkable 3rd position for the first time.While bangladesh senior t20 team made some remarkable victory over srilanka and pakistan,which led them reach the finals,where they lost the finals against India,while the superb knock of Mahmudullah riaz and sabbir rahman went on vain.

                  Now this Strong bangladeshi tigers will be playing the round robin league against the minnows to qualify for the Super 10 stage of the 2016 T20 worldcup that is being held in India for the first time since it's start.Let's hope to see the the surprises, the green tigers might cause during this worldcup.Watch out for some mind boggling cricket by the tigers in the days to come.