Change of Hridoy: Opening slot sparks ton-tastic transformation

Tawhid Hridoy has had a unique BPL campaign so far. 

The Rangpur Riders batter began this year’s tournament in the middle order, playing six innings and scoring only 106 runs. However, his fortunes changed when he started opening the innings for the Riders. So far, he has opened four times and scored 272 runs, including two fifties and a century.

He smashed an unbeaten 97 against Rajshahi Warriors when he first opened the innings for Rangpur. In the next match against Sylhet Titans, he got out for just four, but bounced back with a 62 to set up a win against Dhaka Capitals.

On Sunday against Noakhali, Hridoy went big again, smashing a career-best 109 off 63 balls, hitting 15 fours and two sixes. This marked his second T20 century. Now, with 378 runs in 10 matches at a 139 strike rate and 42 average, Hridoy sits at the top of the tournament's run-scoring charts.

Hridoy himself relished the transformation. 

“Batting in the top order gives a chance to play a bigger innings, while in the middle or lower order, you focus on impactful innings of 25–30–40–50 runs, contributing as much as possible,” he said after the match.

“You see, T20 is a format where regular runs don’t always happen. Many players score very few conventional runs, or perform inconsistently. It’s on-and-off. But as a top-order batsman, you have to make sure that when you get settled, you build a big innings. Middle-order roles are different; often a middle-order player can play an impactful 25–30 or 15–20-run innings. But I believe that whoever bats from the top order should contribute as much as possible to the team,” he explained.

Despite opening being his happy hunting ground, Hridoy is comfortable playing a floater role according to the team’s requirements. 

“To be honest, as a player, I feel ready to contribute wherever the opportunity comes, wherever the team demands. At the end of the day, it’s a team game, not just my game. If this were just my own game, I’d ask to bat at the top. But in a team game, I try to serve the team wherever needed and contribute as much as I can,” he said.

For the national team, Hridoy has played as a middle-order batter over the last few years. But just ahead of the World Cup, he is taking on the opposite role, which demands a different skill set. Asked about the difference between franchise and country roles, Hridoy downplayed any conflict.

“Regarding the national team, there’s a lot I can’t comment on. In the national setup, you see there are many top-order batsmen who have performed well over the past year. So, in my opinion — this is just my thinking — the team should have faith in those who have performed consistently. I hope they continue to represent our country well, and Insha’Allah, move forward successfully,” he said.