Mahedi aims to outperform himself in T20 World Cup

Bangladesh all-rounder Mahedi Hasan spoke about the challenges of bowling in the Powerplay in the T20s and said that he wants to outperform himself in the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

"I don't want to perform like I usually do. In the World Cup, I want to perform better," the off-spin bowling all-rounder said in a video posted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on social media today.

Mahedi, who usually bowls in the Powerplay in the shortest format, said that it's really difficult to contain runs in that phase of the game – a challenge he is likely to face if he breaks into the playing eleven in the T20 World Cup.

"It's really challenging in the Powerplay, especially in T20s. This is a game of runs. [The challenge will be] conceding as few runs as possible while bowling. It is really challenging," he said.

Mahedi also revealed that growing up ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was his ideal and he also gravitated towards the finishing abilities of Mahmudullah later on, both of whom are part of Bangladesh's World Cup squad alongside him.

"When I was a kid and first started understanding cricket, I loved watching Shakib bhai play. When I started preparing myself to bat at No.7 or 8, I started liking Riyad bhai's batting as a finisher. You can say that Shakib bhai is my ideal. I also like Riyad bhai's batting in that situation."