In the Tiger’s opening match at the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, the Bangladesh fans saw another all-rounder come to bat at one-down, hit a half-century to steady the innings following a rocky start and snap up three wickets with the ball. This ‘2019 Shakibesque’ performance came from Mehedi Hasan Miraz.

“In this team Miraz is the biggest asset,” Mashrafe further wrote, adding that Bangladesh’s World Cup dream will depend on the pace unit.

A placard reading "We love you Miraz" held by a Bangladesh fan in the stands of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium yesterday reflected the trust the all-rounder has gained in recent times.

A small but passionate group of Bangladesh fans turned Dharamshala into Mirpur yesterday with their hooting and cheering outside the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, celebrating Bangladesh’s comprehensive six-wicket win over Afghanistan.

Before Bangladesh’s opening World Cup match against Afghanistan, there was apprehension about how well Shakib Al Hasan would handle the pressure as a captain.

A placard saying ‘We love you Miraz’ held by a Bangladesh supporter at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday reflected the amount of trust and reliability that all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz has been able to gain in recent times.

As for his batting, he said: "I always play at number eight so it was a great opportunity to bat in the top order...it's a great moment for me to perform."

This was Afghanistan's 13th successive defeat at the World Cup, a run stretching back to 2015.

South Africa batters belted the Sri Lankan bowlers all around the park in their opening World Cup fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday.

Bangladesh ODI skipper Shakib Al Hasan said he is certain that his fast bowlers will have a lot to say going forward in the tournament after Bangladesh got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Dharamshala on Saturday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated the Bangladesh cricket team for their first win in the ICC World Cup 2023

With no direct flights available to Dharamshala from Dhaka, this reporter and a colleague from the office had no other choice but to take a flight to Delhi on October 6 and then go to Dharamshala by road.