Zawad Abrar equals youth ODI record with another century in Sri Lanka
Just a few days after a blistering 130* off 106 balls, Bangladesh U-19’s promising opener Zawad Abrar has once again lit up the stage with another century—this time in the fourth Youth ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
The echoes of his destructive unbeaten century from five days ago had barely faded when Abrar added yet another three-figure score to his name. His latest knock of 113 off 115 balls, studded with 14 fours and 3 sixes, came at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground and etched his name into the record books.
With this, Zawad becomes only the fourth Bangladeshi opener to score multiple centuries in Youth ODIs. Before him, only Amit Majumder, Pinak Ghosh, and Saif Hassan had achieved this feat.
In this very series, Abrar had hammered 130 off 106 balls in the second match, featuring 14 boundaries and 6 sixes. After a modest 38 off 35 in the third match, he bounced back with another hundred, showing remarkable consistency at the top of the order.
Among Bangladeshi batters in Youth ODIs, Tawhid Hridoy leads with 5 centuries, followed by Ariful Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy with 4 each, and Anamul Haque with 3. With two centuries in three matches, Zawad is well on track to join that elite list.
On Saturday, Zawad reached his fifty in just 45 balls, and then carefully built towards his century, needing 60 more deliveries to get there. He brought up his hundred in style, smashing a six over long-on off Dulnith Sigera when he was on 95.
Zawad was well-supported by Rizan Hossan, who came in at No. 4 and scored a fluent 82 off 77 balls. Together, they stitched a crucial 135-run partnership for the third wicket, helping Bangladesh post a competitive total of 262 for 4 in 45 overs.
With this match win in sight, Bangladesh now leads the five-match series 2-1, and a win here will seal the series for the visitors.
Early Wickets and Bowling Brilliance
Bangladesh’s bowlers struck early, dismantling Sri Lanka’s top order with fiery spells. Al Fahad, Sanjid Mozumder, and Azizul Hakim shared the spoils with sharp, incisive bowling.
Al Fahad removed Rehan Peiris and Chamika Heenatigala, who had threatened with a quickfire 30 off just 18 balls (7 fours). Fahad ended with 2 wickets in his opening spell, exploiting early movement effectively.
Mozumder kept things tight and picked up two vital wickets early, including the dangerous Dulnith Sigera, who was caught by Farid Hasan.
Azizul Hakim, leading the side, also struck by removing Kithma Vidanapathirana with a return catch, reducing Sri Lanka to 36 for 4.
However, Vimath Dinsara, the Sri Lankan captain, counterattacked with three crisp boundaries in quick succession, taking Mozumder for three fours in the 7th over. Despite his aggressive start, Sri Lanka still faced a daunting chase with early wickets falling in clusters.
