The Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes fraternity completed their opening partnership record in ODI cricket amassing a total of 1,357 after contributing 147 runs in the opening stand in the 3rd match against Zimbabwe at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur on Wednesday. With this total, they are now the country’s best ODI opening pair while placed 34th in the world.They leapfrogged Ajay Jadeja-Sachin Tendulkar, Kepler Weasels-Andrew Hudson and Brad Haddin-Shane Watson opening pairs while the most significant record is that they have surpassed the ever famous Flower Brothers. Andy Flower and Grant Flower had 1,350 runs. However, with the days’ 73 runs Tamim become the country’s highest scorers in a single venue (SBNCS) while world 7th batsman in the history of ODI cricket to score over 2,000 runs. To achieve this feat, Tamim scored 2,056 runs in this particular venue with an average 32.12 runs, including four centuries, from 65 matches to be the 2nd Bangladesh batsman after all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan score of 2050 runs. Tamim played a total of 153 ODIs to score 4,713 runs with an average of 31.63 runs including six centuries and 32 fifties, of them 81 matches played at home ground contributed 2,571 runs including four centuries and 17 fifties. Another Bangladesh batsman Mushfiqur Rahim is just 12 runs far to becom the 3rd Bangladesh batsman after Shakib and Tamim to score 2,000 runs in a single venue (SBNCS). Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya has the most number of runs in a single ground scoring 2,514 runs at Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka followed Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq with 2,464 runs at the Sharjah Stadium, UAE. Saeed Anwar (2,179 at Sharjah Stadium), Kumar Sangakkara (2,156 at Premadasa Stadium) and Ricky Ponting (2,108 at Melbourne Cricket Ground) are the other three batsmen accredited to pass the benchmark.
