Bangladesh Legend Cried Because Of MS Dhoni, Recalls Tragic Incident

Bangladesh cried due to MS Dhoni [Source: X]

The game of cricket often brings the greatest joy to the fans and sometimes gives them the biggest heartbreak, too. Although there have been many such instances, Bangladesh’s heart-crushing one-run defeat against India was the most tragic, as the Tigers’ dream was dashed just inches away from glory.

The Tigers almost secured the victory, but former Indian captain MS Dhoni stood between them and the victory as his last-over brilliance flipped the script. 

Years later, of that forgettable night, former Bangladeshi skipper and legendary cricketer Mahmudullah opened up about this.

Mahmudullah relives the painful last-over loss to India in 2016

The T20 World Cup brings the best of the T20 moments as the fans are drenched in the unreal thrills. 

But in the 2016 edition of the tournament, Bangladesh experienced its most heartbreaking defeat in the tournament's history. As they were dealing with highs and lows, they faced Team India in the 25th match.

The cricket world saw an intense battle between the neighbors, but MS Dhoni’s last-over brilliance flipped the script. Chasing down the 147 run total, they just needed 2 runs in the last ball, but MS Dhoni’s lightning-fast hand changed the outcome of the match.

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In the last ball, Hardik Pandya bowled a short ball, and Shuvagata Hom sprinted for a single, hoping to keep Bangladesh’s hopes alive. But as Mustafizur Rahman rushed back to the crease, MS Dhoni produced a brilliant run-out, and Bangladesh faced a heartbreaking one-run defeat.

Since that match, the neighbors have faced each other on multiple occasions, but that game has remained the biggest heartbreak for the Tigers. 

In a recent podcast, named Simply Sayeed, former Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah reflected on that forgettable night and revealed how it broke the entire Bangladesh side.

“I do not know (what happened in that game against India). That was tragic. It was very heartbreaking. I think it was extremely heartbreaking. We cried on the ground. When we got back to the hotel, we cried. Me, Mushfiqur Rahim, we all cried. Many other members were crying as well because we were so close to beating India,” he said.

“But personally, in my life, that was a very life-changing lesson for me. You drag it to the last ball, and you finish it off. At that particular moment, I was thinking that if we just hit one boundary, we would win. To be honest, that was dumb,” he said.

MS Dhoni becomes Bangladesh’s ultimate nightmare

After Team India ended their innings in 146 runs, Bangladeshi batters made the contest into a neck-to-neck battle with their batting brilliance. But MS Dhoni looked sharp always as he removed Sabbir Rahman with a stunning stumping early on. As they locked their eyes on the victory, they just needed 11 runs in the last six balls, but the Indian skipper did some magic with his masterful mind.

Bringing in Hardik Pandya in the last over, Dhoni did some fielding changes. After two consecutive boundaries, Pandya removed Mushfiqur Rahim. After that, the situation was more tense, and Dhoni made some more changes in the field. He sent Dhawan to cover and Jadeja to the deep midwicket.

Jadeja’s field placement proved perfect as the Indian all-rounder took a sharp catch of Mahmudullah in the very next delivery, and the Tigers were under pressure. With Bangladesh just two runs away, MS Dhoni’s last-moment run-out snatched victory away from them.

The scar of that defeat still hurts Bangladesh

In the T20 World Cup 2016, Bangladesh gave a dreamy start to their campaign as they registered two consecutive victories. But their form dipped in the Super 10 stage as they met India after facing two defeats against Pakistan and Australia.

As the match against the Men in Blue was important to keep their hope alive in the tournament, the Tigers almost chased down the total until their fate took a cruel turn. Nearly a decade later, that heartbreaking loss still stands as one of the most disappointing defeats in Bangladesh’s cricket history.

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