Interesting facts ahead of the Tigers’ WC opener

Bangladesh will start their 2019 World Cup campaign with the game against South Africa at the Kennington Oval in London today. Let us look at some of the interesting facts about the players of both teams ahead of their World Cup opener;

Shakib Al Hasan is just one wicket shy of achieving a feat of scoring 5000 runs and scalping 250 wickets in ODIs.  Only four players -- Abdul Razzaq (234 matches), Jacques Kallis (296 matches), Shahid Afridi (273 matches) and Sanath Jayasuriya (304 matches) -- have achieved this 'double' but if the number one allrounder, who has already scored 5717 runs in ODIs, takes a wicket today, then he will reach the feat in just 199 matches -- faster than any of the other four players.

Rubel Hossain is the highest wicket taker for Bangladesh against South Africa in ODIs. The right-arm quick took 12 wickets in the six matches he played against the Proteas. Shakib Al Hasan has however taken the same number of wickets against South Africa but in 13 matches -- seven more than Rubel.

Mustafizur Rahman's economy rate of 3.20 against South Africa is the best among the players in the current World Cup squad for Bangladesh.

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada has scalped 13 wickets against Bangladesh in six matches. He remains as the highest wicket taker among the players featuring in both teams' current World Cup squads.

Kagiso Rabada's six for 16 against Bangladesh back in 2015 in Mirpur is the best bowling figure by a South African against the Tigers.

Shakib Al Hasan amassed 322 runs in the 13 matches he played against South Africa. This remains as the highest number of runs scored by a Bangladeshi against the Proteas.

Soumya Sarkar's average of 71 runs is the highest by any Bangladeshi against South Africa.

Mushfiqur Rahim became the only Bangladeshi to score a hundred against South Africa when he smashed an unbeaten 110 against Faf du Plessis' side in 2017 at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.