Towhid Hridoy, a youthful Bangladeshi batsman, believes he will be better prepared for the impending Asia Cup after playing for Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League – his first overseas franchise-based Twenty20 tournament.
The right-handed batter returned home prior to the conclusion of the tournament, despite the franchise’s request that he remain for the duration of the competition, as he scored 155 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 135.96, including a match-winning 54 off 39 balls in his very first game against Colombo Strikers.
“I don’t have any regret because I did not go there for the whole tournament. They requested me to stay back but that didn’t happen and whatever happened I am fine with that,” Hridoy told reporters following his arrival in Dhaka from Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
“The experience of LPL might help (in the Asia Cup) and it can benefit me. What I do on a particular day is the biggest challenge but still, I got some idea about the grounds and wickets and certainly, it will benefit me to some extent.
“It was a new experience for me and I enjoyed it. I have learned a lot and hope it will help me in the coming days. I tried to stick to my process and tried to utilize that whenever I got the opportunity. I tried to stay in my plan and play according to the merit (of the ball),” he said.
The 22-year-old from Bogura who made his international début in white-ball formats for Bangladesh earlier this year appeared to have cemented his position in the shorter format. He appeared ecstatic as he received a great deal of encouragement from the audience in Sri Lanka.
“I received good support. Whenever I fielded on the boundary line, everyone recognized me, they always called me Hridoy, Hridoy,” said the batsman.
“Every moment was enjoyable for me and nobody made me feel that I am an outsider. Thisara (Perera) was there and Mario (former Bangladesh trainer) was there and a couple of players played Under-19 with me, so I didn’t feel that I was alone. They supported me and I tried to give my best.”
Bangladesh will commence their upcoming Asia Cup campaign against Sri Lanka in Kandy, Sri Lanka on August 31, a day after Pakistan and Nepal kick off the tournament in Multan, Pakistan.
Afghanistan and Bangladesh will play their second and final Group B match on September 3 in Lahore, Pakistan. The best two teams will advance to the Super Fours, where they will play each other once. The top two teams will qualify for the championship game.
