|| CF Correspondent ||

Bangladesh stand-in captain Tamim Iqbal motivated Mohammad Mithun to grab the opportunity by batting well in No. 3 position, a position in which Shakib Al Hasan stamped his authority with quite dazzling batting during the World Cup.

There was a huge outcry who would give the Shakib-like performance in this position when the ace all-rounder was granted leave to perform holy Hajj. But Mithun’s performance in the warm-up game gave Bangladesh a ray of hope. Normally used to bat at No. 5 position, Mithun scored a well-composed 91 against Sri Lanka Board President’s Xi in the practice game to help Bangladesh win it by five wickets.   

"He got the opportunity and did really well. He did really well for Bangladesh. He usually plays in the number five position. We don't have a batsman who plays continuously at the number three position. He got the opportunity and he must grad this with both hands," Tamim said at the pre-match press conference.      

"He played really well in the practice match. After the half-century, he made his innings bigger. But unfortunately, he missed the century," He said. 

"But its great the way he is taking the responsibility and moving the team forward. I hope he will be able to keep this up for the Bangladesh team and hope he delivers tomorrow," He concluded.