Bangladesh’s Mahedi Hasan etched his name into the history books with a sensational bowling display in the third and final T20I against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 16. The off-spinner delivered a match-defining performance, registering the best bowling figures by a visiting bowler at the venue in T20Is.
Mahedi returned figures of 4-1-11-4, surpassing a 13-year-old record previously held by India`s Harbhajan Singh. The Indian off-spinner had set the mark in September 2012 with figures of 4-2-12-4 against England during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
In the overall list for the best T20I figures at the RPS, Mahedi now sits just behind Sri Lankan star Wanindu Hasaranga, who holds the top spot with 4-0-9-4 against India in 2021. Other notable spells at the venue include Australia’s Josh Hazlewood (4-0-16-4) in 2022, England’s Joe Denly (4-0-19-4) in 2018, and India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3.3-0-22-4) in 2021.
Mahedi`s brilliance came at a crucial moment for Bangladesh, as he replaced Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the playing XI and made an immediate impact. In his very first over, he struck gold by removing the dangerous Kusal Perera, who has long been a thorn in the side of visiting teams. He continued his fiery spell by dismissing Dinesh Chandimal in the fifth over, before returning to send back Charith Asalanka, a key middle-order batter for Sri Lanka.
Thanks to Mahedi’s early breakthroughs, Bangladesh restricted Sri Lanka to 40 for 3 in the powerplay, tilting the momentum in their favour. His precise line, clever variations, and ability to extract grip from the surface left the Sri Lankan batters frustrated and unsure.
This four-wicket haul not only helped Bangladesh level the playing field in the match but also elevated Mahedi to a new personal milestone, he became just the fifth Bangladeshi bowler to take 50 or more wickets in T20Is. He joins an elite group featuring Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam.
Beyond the T20I format, Mahedi has also made an impression in ODIs, having taken 14 wickets in 10 matches at a commendable economy rate of 4.95.
