Bangladesh’s Jaker Ali has the kind of career record that gets weirder the longer you look at it.

At first glance, it’s entirely unremarkable. From 67 games, he averages a shade under 30, and strikes at a tick under 130. So far, so what? You could pick out any number of batters with comparable numbers.

But if the overall stats are average, they mask that a year ago they were decidedly poor, an average only just in the 20s and a strike rate of 118. Since then, he’s become, in essence, the hardest-to-dismiss T20 batter on the planet.

In the past 12 months, Jaker has averaged a Bradmanesque – in fact, a better than Bradman – 101.66 in T20 cricket. Unsurprisingly, that’s the best of any batter in the world (of those to play five or more innings). Also unsurprisingly, not outs have helped his cause. Had he been hitting a century every time he came out to bat, you’d have heard a bit more about it.

In that time, Jaker has played 18 games, batted 14 times, and been dismissed on just three occasions. His first innings in that stretch were also his first in international cricket, albeit in the unusual cricketing surroundings of Hangzhou in China. With the Asia Cup and the Asian Games going on simultaneously, second-string squads were picked for the latter, and Jaker got his chance.

His debut, against Malaysia, saw a first not out, though his run-a-ball 14 almost cost Bangladesh, who made only 116 and survived an upset by two runs. His second game, against India, was another struggle. He made 24 from 29, again unbeaten, but Bangladesh couldn’t make it to three figures and India won by nine wickets. The third game was happier, and Jaker got another red-inker. However, he also didn’t face a ball, Rakibul Hassan hitting four to seal a last-ball win over Pakistan in a five-over game.

Three games, no dismissals, but a strike rate below 100. That could have been it for Jaker in international cricket, were it not for an exceptional Bangladesh Premier League campaign for runners-up Comilla Victorians.

Bizarrely, he started with nought off nought again, meaning he had played out two consecutive innings without facing a ball. But over the course of the competition he showed his worth. Eighteen off four against Rangpur Riders went in vain, but the same score off twice as many balls against Khulna Tigers proved crucial in a low-scoring win. Against the same opposition, an unbeaten 40 – his highest score in the last 12 months until today – partnered Towhid Hridoy in a match-winning stand. Against Fortune Barishal, he top-scored with 38 off 16 (unbeaten, of course) but his side went down in a last-over thriller. In the final, he made a slow 20 not out, giving the strike to an in-form Andre Russell, but Fortune Barishal chased the runs.

He ended with 199 runs at a strike rate of 141, and a tournament-high average of 99.50, and was picked for the first T20I against Sri Lanka, at Sylhet.

“My BPL form really helped me here,” Jaker said. “We got here in Sylhet just two days after we finished the BPL in Dhaka. No changing in format was good for me. I also knew about this ground well, this being my home ground.”

Stil, even given that average, the succession of cameos, the burgeoning promise, what he delivered on the biggest stage of his career to date was astonishing. Sri Lanka put up 206-3. Bangladesh were 78-4 at the halfway stage of the chase. The asking rate was up near 13 runs per over. Jaker had hit two off his first three balls. Then he took off.

Jaker Ali is out for 68 off 34, having dragged Bangladesh from 68-4 to within 10 off four of chasing 207. Definitely a player to keep an eye on

— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) March 4, 2024

The first six came, bizarrely, like everything else in this tale, off the 11th ball bowled in Matheesa Pathirana’s second over. His first had conceded two runs and taken one wicket. His second contained two no balls and three wides, and just when he had finally got through it, Jaker ramped him for six.

Still, it wasn’t until Mahmudullah, playing his first T20I for 18 months, fell for 54 off 31 that Jaker properly exploded. On 12 off 11, and with the rate now over 14s, he hit a Maheesh Theekshana full toss for six. Consecutive sixes were struck off Dasun Shanaka, and then another mighty blow off Theekshana. Pathirana returned, struggled through another 11-ball over, and was deposited for six and four, the boundary bringing up a maiden international fifty, this his first score above 40 in T20 cricket in 12 months, in a year in which he was now averaging close to 150. Pathirana’s 19th over was hit for three more fours. Jaker now had 68 off 33, and 12 were needed off the last.

It felt as if Sri Lanka would win if they could only do what so many had failed to do: dismiss Jaker. But then it happened. A full ball was pumped to long-off, Charith Asalanka held on to the catch, and Sri Lanka held their nerve. But in Jaker, Bangladesh had unearthed a gem.

“My face is telling you how I feel. Losing is always heart-breaking. I didn’t sleep the night after losing the BPL final. I would have felt great if we could have won today,” he said. “But I am planning for the next match already. We can take note of plenty of positives from today’s game.”