Team win matters more than personal milestones, says Abrar after second youth ton
His composed 113 off 115 deliveries, featuring 14 boundaries and three sixes, ensured a dominant finish for the visitors, who have now won both games in which the opener reached three figures.
Zawad Abrar struck his second century of the Sri Lanka tour to guide Bangladesh Under-19s to a convincing victory in the fourth youth ODI.
His composed 113 off 115 deliveries, featuring 14 boundaries and three sixes, ensured a dominant finish for the visitors, who have now won both games in which the opener reached three figures.
The 19-year-old also scored an unbeaten 130 in the second match, but was dismissed cheaply in between. Still, his overall performance — two centuries in three games — has left him satisfied, particularly because of the impact on the team's results.
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"I'm happy that I could score two centuries in three matches for the country," Abrar said in a post-match message shared by the BCB. "Most importantly, my runs helped the team win."
Abrar's rise to the Under-19 side followed a strong run of form in domestic cricket. He impressed during the Youth Asia Cup and then featured in the National T20 League, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and the Dhaka Premier League (DPL). Representing Gulshan Cricket Club, he continued to develop as a dependable opener and carried that momentum into the Sri Lanka series.
In the fourth match, Abrar moved into the 90s with a single off Dulnith Sigera and reached his hundred by flicking the same bowler for a six. With that, he joined an elite list of Bangladeshi openers with multiple Youth ODI hundreds — a group that includes Amit Majumder, Pinak Ghosh and Saif Hassan.
The next target for Abrar and his teammates is the ICC Under-19 World Cup, set to take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2026. With several preparatory series on the horizon, Abrar believes this group has the balance and talent to make a real impact on the world stage.
"In shaa Allah, our next goal is the World Cup," he said. "We are a balanced team in batting, bowling and fielding. If we play to our potential, we're hopeful of achieving something special, In shaa Allah."
