Shakib-Al-Hasan just keeps on creating records for Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi all-rounder is now the third player in the history of ODI cricket to take 300 wickets and score more than 5000 runs. Along with all of his other ODI cricket records, Shakib has been a giant of a cricketer for all the fans from Bangladesh. In the second ODI against England, he achieved the record that was held by only two players in the past.

Players with 5000 runs and 300 wickets in ODI cricket

#1. Sanath Jayasuriya | 13430 runs & 323 wickets

The Sri Lankan legend was the first player every to reach the dual milestone of 5000 runs and 300 ODI wickets in history. Sanath Jayasuriya was one of the very first player who used to strike the ball from the very first ball and was the pioneer of attacking cricket in the shorter versions of the game. He was recognized as of the most brutal openers in the ODI cricket history.

But, along with his batting skills, Sanath was a brilliant slow orthodox left-arm spinner. Actually, his contribution with the ball is often gets overshadowed with his excellent batting records in the 50-over format. Jayasuriya scored 13430 ODI runs (4th in most runs in ODI cricket) and took 323 wickets in 445 ODI matches he played. Along with that, Sanath has the second longest ODI career in men's cricket.

Jayasuriya's 11 "Player of series award" (2nd most) speaks volume for his contribution to Sri Lanka's success in ODI cricket.

#2 Shahid Afridi | 8064 runs & 395 wickets

The Pakistani superstar is one of the greatest all-rounders to play the game. More popular for his long haired celebrations and sixes, Shahid Afridi once had the fastest ODI century against his name. Moreover, he is still the youngest player to score an ODI century at the age of 16 years and 217 days. He also has the record for hitting most sixes in ODI cricket (351). If we keep continue naming all the ODI cricket records Shahid Afridi has, you will have to read this article for at least 10 minutes.

Afridi was immense accurate with his leg spinners and his googlies were considered one of the most lethal variations in cricket. In fact, Afridi's faster ones sometimes used to be faster than few of the medium pacers of his times. Shahid in his entire career took 9 five-wicket hauls which is third in all-time list.

Afridi in his career scored 8064 ODI runs and took 395 ODI wickets and was the second player to achieve the ODI cricket record of 5000 runs and 300 wickets.

Read Also: IND vs AUS: Jadeja becomes the 2nd Indian Cricketer to complete 5000 runs & 500 wickets in International Cricket

#3 Shakib-Al-Hasan | 6976* runs & 300* wickets

Shakib-Al-Hasan is the latest player to achieve this feat of dual milestones in ODI cricket. The Bangladeshi all-rounder is an asset to any team. He can bat at the top of the order and bowl full quota of overs in the shorter formats of the game. Shakib is the only Bangladeshi player to take 300 ODI wickets. Along with that, he has the record for most ODI wickets taken at single ground. His 131 wickets at Sheer-E-Bangla stadium is a reason of Bangladesh's recent dominance at their home.

Shakib's batting ability has evolved throughout his career. His 606 runs in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, was one of the highlights of his career. In fact, he broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of most runs scored in the group stage of any ODI world cup. His 6976 runs at an average of 37.70 speaks for the tremendous job he has done for Bangladesh with the bat.

The 35-year old all-rounder has won 6 "Player of the series award," which is sixth most in ODI cricket history.

During a Dallas Cowboys NFL game in Houston, USA, the team owner, Jerry Jones, honoured the legendary Sachin Tendulkar with a special jersey customed with Number 10.

Cricket Legend Sachin Tendulkar watched Cowboys lose 47-9 to the Lions pic.twitter.com/JRKjuhMnlU

— FirstSportz NFL (@FirstSportz_NFL) October 14, 2024

Cricket is a growing sport in the United States, having its footprints in the country via the National Cricket League (NCL). Tendulkar, a co-owner of the NCL, is playing a pivotal role in introducing and spreading the cricket fever amongst the new generation audience in America.

The innovative Sixty Strikes format is trying to bridge the worlds of cricket and American sports.

The Tendulkar Effect

Earlier on Sunday, Tendulkar hit off the NCL's community to inspire the young athletes at Dallas' University of Texas.

In his speech, he said, "Cricket has given me so much, and being here in Dallas—both teaching these young athletes and receiving this incredible recognition—has been truly humbling."

He added, "Inspiring these kids and sharing my journey with them has been incredibly fulfilling. I want them to know that with dedication, passion, and belief, they can achieve anything—whether on the cricket field or in life."

The NCL has quickly reached the audience. It has a good blend of world-class cricket with cultural events and initiatives focused on the community. The tournament will conclude on Monday.

Legends United

Reknowned names like Shahid Afridi, Suresh Raina, Shakib Al Hasan, and Chris Lynn have featured in the league, making it a premier event for global cricket.

The National Cricket League has also attracted legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Wasim Akram, and Sir Vivian Richards as mentors of the teams.

endorsed by the International Cricket Council and supported by SEE Holdings, the National Cricket League has its headquarters in Dallas.

Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been promoted to full-time head coach for the Sri Lanka men's cricket team till the 2026 T20 World Cup. He has got the contract till March 31st, 2026.

Earlier, he got the appointment as an interim coach for the men's team for the series against India, England, and New Zealand

Sri Lanka Cricket took to its social media to inform about the extension.

Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya as the head coach of the national team.

The Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket made this decision taking into consideration the team’s good performances in the recent tours against India, England,… pic.twitter.com/IkvAIJgqio

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) October 7, 2024

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has announced that Jayasuriya's remarkable run as an interim coach has earned him the position of permanent coach. The board also mentioned that the appointment has been effective since October 1st, 2024.

Sri Lanka under Jayasuriya

Sri Lankan cricket has been a phoenix under the guidance of its former captain, Sanath Jayasuriya. 

Jayasuriya started his journey as a coach against India in the t20s and ODIs, where they defeated the Men in Blue in the 50-over format.

In the England tour that came next, the Lankan Lions scripted history by defeating the English at the Ovals in the thirst test. They then whitewashed New Zealand by 2-0 at home. 

Sri Lanka's overwhelming performances under Jayasuriya's short period had gained him the contract of permanent coach till the 2026 T20I World Cup.

The Pakistan team was heavily trolled when they waved the Chinese flag in the India versus China match in Asian Champions Trophy final match in China. But then, a totally different picture came in front when pakistani chess players chose to appreciate the Indian Contingents. India, standing out as the winner in both male and female and male chess Olympiads, got a heartwarming but not unusual gesture from the Pakistani contingent.

Pakistan players chose to pose with the Indian players, holding the flag. The photo stands out as an utmost flagbearer of peace. 

For a long time, critics and enthusiasts have been trying to promote sports as a mode of friendship. and why not! Seeing the two neighbours excelling simultaneously should be a matter of pride! But whenever situations favoured, trolls took the internet.

Pakistani fans donning Virat Kohli's jersey to Indian fans appreciating rookies like Shaheen Shah. the 90s kids have been idolizing both Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Akram at its peak! Yet the tag "big-arc' rival got stuck to these countries due to geopolitical unrest!

A fan who has always wanted to shed off the hate every time a Mohammed Amir hugs a Virat Kohli is presenting four such instances when the GAME PROMOTED PEACE AND NOT HATERED!

Shahid Afridi

A household name, may be for his excellence or for him coming back from retirements, had shown his respect for his neighbour in 2018.

2018 St. Moritz Cricket Tournament in Switzerland, a tournament was played on frozen lake in sub-zero temperature. A matting wicket was made on the ice to play. A charity match where not just Afridi but legends like Shoaib Akhter, Virender Shehwag, Zaheer Khan, Graeme Smith, Andrew Symonds, and many others attended.

A handful of Indian and Pakistani fans were there, who urged Afridi to pose with them. One had an Indian flag that crumbled when Afridi requested "flag seeda rakho apna (straighten your flag).

This broke the internet with love. Not only that, he acknowledged fans from both countries for showering the bulk of love he got.

Even in a Legends' League match, he was seen giving an autograph to an Indian fan on his flag.

𝑩𝑰𝑮 𝑴𝑨𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑨 𝑩𝑰𝑮 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻 😍

Shahid Afridi gives an autograph to a fan on the Indian flag 🙌#LLC2023 @SAfridiOfficial pic.twitter.com/LonnLwlDAt

— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) March 19, 2023

Read also: A Bronze costs just USD 100: Trembling Future of Pakistan Hockey Team

Shaheen Shah Afridi 

Amidst trolls for mimicking KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's departure to him, there's another side to this young left arm fast bowler.

During the Asia Cup, when the suspended match at Colombo frowned the fans, Shaheen brought a gift to his contemporary best Jasprit Bumrah, and definitely some awe moment to the fans.

Shaheen congratulated Bumrah for his baby boy and gifted him stuffs for his son Angad. Burmah's wife, the sports presenter Sanjana Ganseshan too appreciated Shaheen's gesture.

An introduction to Shaheen's kindness is now leading to gate where he showed respect to Bumrah's country. In the 2022 World Cup match at Sydney, Shaheen was seen sighing an Indian flag offered by a fan. 

Arshad Nadeem

The bromance between Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra is not unknown to the athletics fan. The amount of respect each one has for the other has reached to their own residence, with their mothers claiming the other athlete as like their own son.

However, the competition here is not exactly "fierce," as in cricket. The mutual respect has restricted it to "entertaining" competitions.  A proof? Definitely!

The Budapest World Championships got the first ever medallist for Pakistan. It was their Arshad Nadeem winning the silver with a throw of 87.82 metres. Neeraj Chopra got the gold with 88.17 m. 

However, Nadeem felt short of Pakistan's flag while posing. When Neeraj offering his own flag, Nadeem accepted to stand holding it and pose, showing respect not just to his mate but to India as well.

Read Also: Cricket versus "Sports": A friend or a foe?

Shahzaib Rindh

Not so common name for the common fans, but the Salman Khan fan and a Karate champion Shahzaib Rindh held both Pakistan and India's flags promoting peace.

In a Karate combat event, the Pak rising star defeated the Indian opponent Rana Singh by 2-1 contest. However, emerging victorious, he waved both the flags and voiced his urge to promote peace.

“This fight was for peace. We are not enemies, we are together. Together we can do anything. This fight is for Pakistan and India’s friendship and being closer,” Shahzaib stated after the fight.

His words resonated deeply with fans, transcending the realm of sports and entering the realm of diplomacy. Shahzaib’s act was a reminder that sports can also inspire unity, not just rivalry.

A beautiful and powerful message by Pakistani fighter @RindhShahzaib after his victory over Indian fighter in @KarateCombat #KC45
Pakistan beat India by 2-1 in team competition in Dubai last night.. #ShahzaibRind #KarateCombat #PakvsInd #PakvInd #Unity pic.twitter.com/tCikyDBNrM

— Eco Vibes 🌍 (@EcoVibeExplorer) April 20, 2024

Sports for Peace

Here are just four instances when an athlete kept rivalry aside, by respecting the flag. But there are a good number of off-field stories that promotes love and respect between players and fands of two countries.

Amidst all the hate and political dipolitics that have poisoned the air, isn't it high time to promote sports as a torchbearer of peace and brotherhood? 

Bangladesh cricket team's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan announced his retirement from Test cricket on Thursday. The veteran took this decision before the IND vs BAN second Test match to be played in Kanpur.

Also Read: Most Wickets in the T20 World Cup History

Shakib will play IND vs BAN second Test match in Kanpur tomorrow i.e. from 27th September. After this, he is going to play Test cricket for Bangladesh in one more series and then he will retire from red ball cricket. He told that the Test against South Africa in Mirpur will be his last.

Shakib also confirmed his T20I retirement

Shakib Al Hasan also took retirement from T20I cricket. He told PTI that T20 World Cup 2024 was his last tournament. He revealed this during a recent press conference.

Shakib played a total of 129 T20I matches and scored 2551 runs, during which his strike rate was 121. However, he could not make much of an impact with the ball and took a total of 149 wickets in 126 innings. He missed his mark of 150 wickets by just one wicket.

Shakib's Test career

Shakib Al Hasan made his Test debut against India. He was seen playing red-ball cricket for the first time in the year 2007 and since then, Shakib has played a total of 70 test matches, in which he scored 4600 runs with the bat, which included five centuries and 31 half-centuries.

While bowling, Shakib has registered a total of 242 wickets in Tests for Bangladesh. He is the only bowler from Bangladesh to cross the mark of taking more than 200 wickets in Tests.

Also Read: Top 8 Wicket-takers of T20 World Cup 2021

Shakib's performance in IND vs BAN 1st Test

Despite being one of the most prolific cricketers from his country, Shakib Al Hasan failed to make his mark in the first Test of the ongoing two-match series against India. The experienced player went wicketless on a surface that offered significant assistance to the spinners. 

While the Indian batters tackled his variations easily, Shakib found it tough to get going against the hosts' formidable bowling attack, letting Bangladesh down with his successive modest outings. So, considering his recent form and injury setbacks, Shakib's retirement was on the cards and shouldn't be surprising at all. 

World’s best batters fight for glory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup every two years. They show their hitting skills, leaving fans amazed with their six-hitting abilities. The T20 World Cup 2024 is the 9th edition and will be played in the West Indies and USA from June 1 to 29, 2024. But who among the modern-day batting greats tops the list of total runs scored in the T20 World Cup? Let's take a look at the most ICC Men's T20 World Cup runs list below. 

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Squads of Every Team

Most ICC Men's T20 World Cup Runs

1. Virat Kohli | 1141 Runs

Virat Kohli has the most ICC Men's T20 World Cup runs. Kohli has scored 1141 runs in 27 matches at an average of 81.50, which also includes 14 fifties at a strike-rate of 131.30. His highest score in the tournament is 89 not out, which he scored in the 2016 edition of the T20 World Cup against West Indies. In addition to his overall record, Kohli also holds the record for the most runs in a single T20 World Cup tournament, having scored 319 runs in six matches during the 2014 edition.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Highest run scorers in every T20WC edition

2. Mahela Jayawardene | 1016 Runs 

Following Kohli is former Sri Lanka cricket team batsman Mahela Jayawardene, who ranks second in the list of most ICC Men's T20 World Cup runs. Jayawardene participated in five editions of the tournament between 2007 and 2014, amassing 1,016 runs in 31 matches at an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 134.74. He also became the first Sri Lankan player to score a century in T20 World Cups during that tournament. 

3. Chris Gayle | 965 Runs

Caribbean batter Chris Gayle occupies the third position in this list. Gayle has smashed 965 runs in 33 matches, at an average of 34.46 and a strike rate of 142.75 with the help of 2 centuries and 7 half-centuries. He scored the first hundred in the T20 World Cup and won two world cups.

4. Rohit Sharma | 963 Runs

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma made 963 runs in 36 spells, which includes nine half-centuries. Hitman comes fourth on the list of most ICC Men's T20 World Cup runs. 79 is the top score for Rohit. He hasn't scored any 100s till now. Rohit has played in all the eight T20 World Cups so far.

5. Tillakaratne Dilshan | 897 Runs

Tillakaratne Dilshan played his last World Cup in the shortest format in 2016 but is still at the fifth place in the list of most runs in T20 World Cup. He mustered 897 runs in 34 innings with six fifties for Sri Lanka at the mega event with the highest score being 96*. More often than not, Dilshan opened the innings and was also instrumental in Sri Lanka lifting the trophy in 2014. 

Also Read: Youngest Men's player to score a T20I century

6. David Warner | 806 Runs

David Warner is set to play his last T20 World Cup in 2024 and will open the innings yet again for Australia. Having played since 2009 at the event, the southpaw has amassed 806 runs so far in 34 innings at a strike rate of 133.22 and has surprisingly, not scored a single ton yet. Warner has a chance to bow out on a high and also climb up in this list with a sensational T20 World Cup this year.

7. Jos Buttler | 799 Runs

Jos Buttler led England to T20 World Cup title in 2022 and is again the captain for the 2024 edition. He is playing the event since 2012 and has scored 799 runs so far sitting at the seventh place in the list of most runs in T20 World Cup. He has smashed the runs at an average of 42.05 and a strike rate of 144.48 with a century and four fifties to his name. Apart from leading from the front with the bat, Buttler will be aiming to defend England’s title this time around. 

8. Shakib Al Hasan | 742 Runs

Shakib Al Hasan is the only other player apart from Rohit Sharma to feature in all editions of T20 World Cup (including the upcoming one). He has played 36 matches for Bangladesh at the event scoring 742 runs at an average of almost 24 and a strike rate of 122.44 with three fifties. He has won a lot of matches for Bangladesh with his all-rounder skills and will be aiming to do so in what could be his last ICC event in the format.

9. AB de Villiers | 717 Runs

AB de Villiers last played the mega event in 2016 itself but it still among top 10 in the list of players with most runs in T20 World Cup . Playing for South Africa, he amassed 717 runs in 29 innings at an average of almost 30 and a strike rate of 143.4 that is impeccable for a middle-order batter. He also hit five fifties and played some memorable knocks for Proteas during his playing time.

Also Read: 5 players who played more than 50 matches in every format

10. Kane Williamson | 699 Runs

New Zealand have again reposed faith in Kane Williamson to lead New Zealand in the upcoming T20 World Cup edition. The man is playing in the tournament since 2012 and has scored 699 runs in 24 innings at an average of 33.28 and a strike rate of 113.84 with three fifties to his name. Despite the fact that his stocks are going down in the shortest format, Williamson remains a key member for the Kiwis having led them to final of T20 World Cup 2021.