Yusuf Pathan scores match winning knock in Dhaka Premier League debut

After performing brilliantly for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the recently concluded IPL 2016, the swashbuckling middle-order batsman Yusuf Pathan entertained the Bangladesh crowd on his debut in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) One-day tournament with a stupendous knock of 60 off just 47 balls for his side Abahani Limited. According to reports in the Dhaka Tribune, Pathan bailed his side out of a precarious position against the Prime Banks team to help them chase 241 and register their third consecutive win in the tournament and catapult the side to the third spot in the points table with 12 points.

But it is not only the knock which is making the headlines. According to the reports, the 33-year-old could have missed the game because he arrived 41 minutes after the scheduled start of play because he was stuck in traffic on the Dhaka-Savar highway. However, the match officials and the opposition permitted the cricketer to play and he didn’t disappoint.

Pathan’s performance

Playing under the leadership of Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal, Pathan stitched a crucial a 94-run third wicket partnership with Nazmul Hossain Shanto to get his team back on track after the skipper was dismissed for 40.

Pathan hammered the opposition bowlers for seven fours and two sixes before he was dismissed. His KKR teammate Shakib also played with him in the same team and took 4 wickets in the game.

The big-hitting middle order batsman, who will play Abahani’s next game before heading back to India, talked about his experience, “I was looking forward to play these two matches before Ramadan. The team has won [yesterday] and this will work as an advantage as they move forward in the competition. I am happy that I have performed and added around 60 runs to the board.”

Pathan had a great tournament for KKR in the 9th edition of the IPL as he amassed 361 runs at an average of 72.20 and won many matches for his side with his blistering batting. He spent more time in the middle before unleashing the lusty blows and that really paved the way towards his success.

He also spoke about the wicket, “The wicket is different. Back home we have something else, there the fast bowlers take charge at the beginning but here the spinners start with the new ball. It felt that teams here play according to the merit of the wicket. The experience has been new for me.”

Surely, the batsman is continuing with his rich vein of form and his team Abahani might just benefit from that.