Soumya Sarkar had been Bangladesh’s top scorer in the previous match as well. Yet, he didn’t seem to be in his usual rhythm then. Today, that rhythm finally returned — but he couldn’t turn a brilliant start into a century. Watching his innings, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul couldn’t hide his disappointment.
At the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today, Saif Hassan started off aggressively, while Soumya was the complete opposite at the other end. He couldn’t score a single run from his first seven balls. His first run came when an edge off Roston Chase’s delivery flew between the wicketkeeper and first slip. Once he got going, there was no looking back. With five fours and two sixes, Soumya reached his 14th ODI fifty in just 48 balls. It seemed he was on his way to his first ODI century in almost two years.
After Saif Hassan missed his own century, Soumya seemed to go into a shell — failing to score from six consecutive deliveries. Trying to break the pressure, he attempted a six off Akeal Hosein’s tossed-up delivery, but ended up being caught at long-on by Akeem Auguste. His innings ended on 91.
Watching that knock, BCB President Bulbul first thanked the selectors and team management. He said,
“Soumya is a talented cricketer. I want to thank the team management for sticking with him. In the past, one bad match would usually mean getting dropped. But this consistency in selection has helped build Soumya’s confidence.”
Still, Bulbul couldn’t hide his regret that such a promising start didn’t turn into something even bigger. He added,
“Usually, players get out while struggling. But Soumya got out after a good start — it could’ve easily been 150. He began very well.”
In international cricket, Soumya has scored four centuries in total — three of them in ODIs. His last century came in December 2023 in Nelson, against New Zealand. After 22 months, he came so close to reaching three figures again — only to fall nine runs short.
And looking ahead to the third ODI in Mirpur, both batters and bowlers may face a test. Given how comfortably the batters played today — on a pitch that was difficult for scoring in the first two matches — it might now be a bit tougher for the bowlers to take wickets.
