- Dhaka
Bangladesh has long been proud of its left-arm spinning all-rounders—from the pioneering Mohammad Rafique to the legendary Shakib Al Hasan. Now, another promising name is quietly making waves: Rakibul Hasan.
Primarily known for his left-arm spin, Rakibul is beginning to reveal the all-round skills that could one day put him in the same league. His recent match-winning performances with both bat and ball in the emerging team hint that Bangladesh may have discovered a new dual-threat player in the making.
Though his bowling was already well recognized, especially after his strong showing in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), where he ended as joint top wicket-taker with 30 wickets alongside his Abahani Limited teammate Mosaddek Hossain, his batting talent remained largely unnoticed.
That changed during the emerging team’s three-match one-day series against South Africa, where he played two crucial innings—24 not out and 42—helping his side to victories in Rajshahi.
“I think playing in the DPL really helped me a lot. I’m happy to contribute to the team’s victories,” Rakibul told The Daily Star yesterday, as his side traveled from Rajshahi to Chattogram for the first four-day match of the two-match series against the same opponents.
In the series opener, Rakibul came in with Bangladesh struggling at 263 for seven while chasing 302. He smashed 24 runs off just 10 balls, including three sixes, sealing the win with two balls to spare.
Rested for the second game to allow squad rotation, Rakibul returned for the decider and again made a difference. Bangladesh was in deeper trouble at 118 for eight, but his 40-ball 42, combined with an 84-run partnership with Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, helped the hosts post 225—a total that proved enough.
He followed his batting heroics by taking four wickets for 26 runs in 10 overs, securing a 34-run victory and the series, finishing with five wickets at an economy rate of 3.25.
Rakibul acknowledged that his work with High Performance batting coach Rajin Saleh had helped him improve, and he is “not worried” about a national team call-up just yet, despite many of his 2020 U-19 World Cup-winning teammates already advancing.
Rajin, however, believes Rakibul has the potential to become a senior team all-rounder.
“Rakibul worked with me last year in the HP unit,” the former Bangladesh player said. “With the maturity and experience he has now, if he focuses on some areas and performs consistently, he can serve Bangladesh as a quality all-rounder.”
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