On the opening day of the Dhaka Premier League, newcomer Iftikhar Hossain of Gulshan Cricket Club made a remarkable entrance by scoring a century.
Facing Mohammad Saifuddin’s slower bouncer, Iftikhar gently guided the ball to mid-wicket and sprinted for two quick runs. As he completed the century, he spread his arms wide, removed his helmet, and raised his bat towards the sky—a fitting celebration for his maiden three-figure score in white-ball cricket.
Not only was this his first List A century, but it was also the first century of this season’s Dhaka Premier League.
The 22-year-old batter played a brilliant knock of 108 runs against the prestigious Mohammedan Sporting Club at BKSP’s No. 3 ground on Monday.
Battling against bowlers like Ebadot Hossain, Taijul Islam, and Nasum Ahmed, Iftikhar’s 110-ball innings included 9 fours and 3 sixes.
Having represented Bangladesh in age-level cricket, Iftikhar was part of the 2022 U-19 World Cup squad, where he scored 121 runs in 4 innings, including one half-century. That same year, he made his first-class debut for Barishal Division in the National Cricket League. However, his initial seasons didn’t bring much success.
It wasn’t until last year’s National Cricket League that the left-handed batter found his form, scoring his maiden first-class century. Across 7 matches, he emerged as his team’s top scorer with 563 runs, including one century and three fifties.
Iftikhar made his List A debut in the previous season of the Premier League for Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy but failed to make an impact. In 13 matches, he couldn’t register a single fifty, scoring just 198 runs at an average of 15.23, with a highest score of 41.
This year, however, he turned things around. In his very first match, he converted his first fifty-plus score into a century.
Iftikhar came to the crease after his team lost two early wickets in the powerplay. He was joined by Jawad Abrar, who counterattacked and eased some pressure. Together, they built an 83-run partnership for the third wicket, with Jawad contributing 54 runs off 86 balls, hitting 4 fours and 5 sixes before being dismissed for 75.
After Jawad’s departure, Iftikhar took charge. He smashed Taijul Islam for a six over wide long-on and repeated the shot in the next over. His first fifty in white-ball cricket came off 66 balls, and it took him only 38 more deliveries to reach his century.
Iftikhar hit his third six off Nasum Ahmed over wide long-on. He moved into the nineties with back-to-back boundaries off Saifuddin, reaching 99. On the very next ball, he completed his well-earned century.
His innings came to an end while attempting another six off Saifuddin, as he was caught by Tamim Iqbal.
Thanks to Iftikhar’s century and Jawad’s half-century, Gulshan Cricket Club posted a strong total of 298/8. Habibur Sheikh also contributed 47 off 53 balls at No. 5.
For Mohammedan, Abu Hider picked up 4 wickets for 66 runs in 10 overs, while Saifuddin conceded 78 runs for his solitary wicket.
