Biography

Mehidy Hasan Miraz is a dynamic cricketer known for his off-spin bowling and crucial contributions with the bat. A right-arm off-break bowler and a handy lower-order batter, he has been a key player for Bangladesh across all formats.

Born with a passion for cricket, Mehidy defied his parents’ wishes for him to focus on academics and pursued his dream of becoming a professional cricketer. His talent was evident from a young age, earning him the captaincy of Bangladesh’s U-19 team for the 2014 U-19 World Cup. A year later, he made his first-class debut for Khulna Titans, marking the start of a promising career.

In 2016, Mehidy led Bangladesh’s U-19 squad in the U-19 World Cup, where he shined as an all-rounder. His consistent performances helped Bangladesh finish third, and his efforts were recognized with the Player of the Tournament award. Riding on this success, he had a stellar domestic season, picking up 30 wickets at an average of 16.43, which earned him a place in Bangladesh’s Test squad.

Mehidy made an unforgettable Test debut against England in October 2016, taking a five-wicket haul in his very first match. His performance peaked in the second Test, where he grabbed two six-wicket hauls, leading Bangladesh to their first-ever Test victory against England. For his outstanding performance, he was named Man of the Series.

Though he struggled during Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand later that year, he showed promise with the bat, scoring his maiden Test fifty against India in 2017. That same year, he played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s historic Test wins against Sri Lanka (away) and Australia (home), cementing his spot in the national squad.

Mehidy made his ODI debut in March 2017 against Sri Lanka, impressing with his tight spells. A month later, he played his first T20I but had a forgettable debut, getting dismissed for a golden duck and conceding a hat-trick to Lasith Malinga. He also struggled during Bangladesh’s 2017 South Africa tour, going wicketless despite bowling 60+ overs. However, the selectors backed him, and he gradually improved his limited-overs bowling.

By 2019, Mehidy had developed into a reliable ODI bowler and was included in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad. He finished as Bangladesh’s most economical bowler, with an economy of 5.08. His white-ball prowess continued to grow, and in 2021, he registered his career-best ODI figures of 4/25 against West Indies.

In February 2021, Mehidy reached a major milestone, scoring his maiden Test century against West Indies. Just days later, he became the fastest Bangladeshi bowler to take 100 Test wickets, achieving the feat in 24 matches.

By May 2021, he had climbed to No. 2 in the ICC ODI bowler rankings, becoming only the third Bangladeshi bowler to achieve this after Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak. His batting continued to improve, and in February 2022, he played a historic 81 against Afghanistan, setting a record for the highest individual score in a successful ODI chase while batting at No. 8 or lower.

His biggest ODI batting achievement came on 7 December 2022, when he smashed a match-winning 100 runs against India, securing a famous series win for Bangladesh. He became just the second No. 8 batter in ODI history to score a century. Mehidy ended 2022 as Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker across all formats. In October 2023, during the ODI World Cup, he completed 100 ODI wickets in just 89 matches, reaching another major career milestone.

With his ability to control the game with both bat and ball, Mehidy Hasan Miraz has evolved into one of Bangladesh’s most valuable cricketers. His versatility, resilience, and match-winning performances make him a crucial asset for Bangladesh in all formats.