Technical tweaks help Towhid Hridoy prosper in T20s

Towhid Hridoy came into the ninth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with a substandard strike-rate for a T20 batter.

After the historic Under-19 World Cup triumph in 2020, he had two really mediocre years in this format - strike-rate of 113.9 in 2021 and 97.8 in 2022. 

But in the tournament that started in the new year, he returned with a new approach for a new team in Sylhet Strikers under a new captain in the inspirational Mashrafe Mortaza. 

The right-handed batter was the third-highest run-getter of the BPL with 403 runs at an average of 36.6 and a strike-rate of 140.4. Now that was outrageous for a batter with a pre-tournament strike-rate of 103. The performance earned him a national call-up for the upcoming first two England ODIs. 

"I am happy with the performance by the grace of the Almighty," Hridoy told The Business Standard. "But it would have been better if I had performed slightly better towards the end of the tournament. But I am quite happy with what I have achieved."

His tournament was rocked by a finger injury after a prolific start. But he didn't take much time to return to form. Hridoy hit five half-centuries in the tournament and apart from the final four games, Hridoy had significant contributions in almost every game.

Hridoy, predominantly a middle-order batter prior to the tournament, was entrusted with a new role for Sylhet at the top of the order. The youngster grabbed the opportunity with both hands and credits Mortaza for the success he achieved. 

"The support I got not only from Mashrafe bhai but also from the senior players and coaching staff was incredible. I think every player deserves this kind of backing. If you get this kind of support from everyone in the team, it takes a lot of pressure off you and the performance really takes care of itself," he stated.

Hridoy failed to close out a game last season which turned out to be the final and that failure pushed him to make necessary changes to his T20 game. The batter worked with renowned local coach Sohel Islam to prepare himself for the BPL.

Hridoy revealed, "Right after that final, I realised that I had to up my game. Since then, I started to work on certain things. My sole focus was power-hitting. I worked closely with Sohel [Islam] Sir. I am grateful to him for his help. The transformation needed some mental changes as well. So I did a lot of thinking and it helped me change my outlook."

The change was evident. He made technical tweaks, the back-lift got higher, allowing him to play more lofted shots. Hridoy had 12 sixes in his T20 career prior to this game but he hit 13 in this tournament itself. He improved his ability to rotate strike as well as the dot-ball percentage was lower (34.8) than that of the previous year (38.8).

It's not that he's been called up to the team only on the back of T20 performances. He has 14 fifty-plus scores in 45 innings at an average of 45.5 in List A cricket. Hridoy said it's not very difficult to switch from one format to another.

"If you look at my List A numbers, they're good. I have done well for the A team. I think it's a common thing for a player to switch from one format to another. It just takes some mental adjustments," he explained. 

His BPL captain Mortaza opined that he has received a call-up "too early" as it could put pressure on the youngster. But Hridoy said he is not feeling any pressure and took whatever Mortaza told him positively. 

"Mashrafe bhai told me, 'I don't want you to end up like players who get called up, play a few games and sink into oblivion. I want you to get enough chances and make the best use of them.' But the call-up is not putting pressure on me."

It will be a massive challenge for him up against England if given a chance but for someone like him who loves challenges, it will be a happy affair.

"You have to take challenges in every step of life," he said. "I love to take challenges. I believe challenges drive you towards success. I really enjoy challenging situations and the process of overcoming them."