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Cricket is a game of glorious highs and heartbreaking lows, and for players, it’s not just about the centuries and wickets but also the records they leave behind. In the case of Afghanistan’s star spinner, Mujeeb ur Rahman, it’s a record he’d probably rather not own. Mujeeb recently etched his name in the annals of cricket history with an unwanted record – becoming the first player to be dismissed hit-wicket in One Day Internationals (ODIs) not once, but twice, and in back-to-back fixtures.
The incident took place in the Group stage match of the Asia Cup 2023 between Afghanistan and Bangladesh on Sunday. Bangladesh’s top-order batters, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto, were in a league of their own. They notched up centuries that powered their team to an imposing total of 334/5.
In response, Afghanistan’s batting lineup couldn’t quite match the required run rate. As wickets tumbled, they found themselves in a tough spot. But it was in the 45th over of Afghanistan’s chase that the bizarre moment unfolded. Mujeeb, known for his handy lower-order contributions with the bat, decided to take on Taskin Ahmed’s bowling.
Also READ: Twitter erupts as Mehidy Hasan Miraz & Najmul Hossain Shanto steer Bangladesh to a dominant win against Afghanistan – Asia Cup 2023
Mujeeb Ur Rahman registers an embarrassing record
As Mujeeb attempted to send the ball soaring over the mid-wicket boundary for a maximum, he stepped deep into his crease, attempting to generate power for the shot. Unfortunately, his back leg dislodged the stumps, resulting in a rare hit-wicket dismissal.
What made this dismissal even more astonishing was that it wasn’t the first time Mujeeb had suffered a hit-wicket dismissal in an ODI. Just a short while ago, in the third and final ODI against Pakistan at Hambantota, the Afghan star found himself in a similar predicament.
In that match, he was batting brilliantly at 64, looking well set to steer Afghanistan to victory. However, fate had other plans. While trying to flick a delivery to the short fine leg off Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, Mujeeb’s back leg once again disturbed the stumps, leading to yet another hit-wicket dismissal.
