‘Forgot that it took so many deliveries to score first runs’

Abahani captain Mushfiqur Rahim was quite slow to get off the mark during his team's opening match of the Dhaka Premier League but he accelerated following his fifty to notch a hundred against Partex Sporting Club today at Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

It took Mushfiqur 23 deliveries to get his first runs as Abahani were under early pressure, losing both openers Liton Das and Mohammad Naim inside the first two overs. Mushfiqur took 75 deliveries to reach his fifty and then notched his ton in 111 deliveries. He batted Abahani to a commanding score of 289 for seven, hitting 11 fours and four sixes during his 124-ball 127.

Mushfiqur, who was making his debut for Abahani, said he enjoyed the pressure after the early wickets and it allowed him to get the best out of himself. "I enjoy these pressure situations. When I enjoy these, I get to move two steps forward as a player. I myself had forgetten that it took me so many deliveries to score first run. My belief was that if I stay at the crease and get set, I will get a grip on things," he said.