In 2010, a pivotal moment arrived in the cricketing career of Mushfiqur Rahim. Three years previously, he had failed an audition for the No. 4 position in Bangladesh’s batting line-up, scoring 7 and 0 in the latter stages of their World Cup journey. Now, in 2010, he had returned to the role. Not only would he secure his status as Bangladesh’s most accomplished No. 4 in ODI cricket, but also position himself alongside some of the global greats. Accumulating over 4,000 runs in more than 100 innings, and with eight of his nine centuries achieved at No. 4, Rahim found himself in the esteemed company of cricketing legends.
Narrowing it down to the past decade, Rahim’s impact at No. 4 becomes even more apparent. In this time frame, he ranks second in terms of total runs scored, trailing only Ross Taylor. His impressive average and effective strike-rate embellish his run tally, and he’s among only three batters to have amassed over 3000 runs in this specific period.
Most runs at No.4 in ODIs since 2013:
- Ross Taylor: 115 Inns, 5182 Runs, Avg 57.57, SR 84, 15x100s, 30x50s
- Mushfiqur Rahim: 95 Inns, 3757 Runs, Avg 45.81, SR 85.09, 7x100s, 26x50s
- Eoin Morgan: 80 Inns, 3322 Runs, Avg 47.45, SR 98.22, 7x100s, 22x50s
- AB de Villiers: 57 Inns, 2663 Runs, Avg 52.21, SR 106.56, 7x100s, 14x50s
- Joe Root: 55 Inns, 2013 Runs, Avg 41.08, SR 80.03, 4x100s, 10x50s
Barring 2022, when he had a lean year, and 2020, when he played only two ODIs, Rahim has been a prolific run-getter in the last ten years, with 70 percent of his runs coming at No. 4. Yet despite this impressive track record, Rahim’s position has undergone significant change in 2023 – he has predominantly occupied the No. 6 spot, with occasional appearances at number five.
This strategic move to position him at No. 6 was implemented during the ODI series against Ireland at home, and the experienced batsman showcased his prowess at the position by scoring 44 and an unbeaten 100 in two innings.
“The plan was that Towhid Hridoy will bat at four because he scores runs at a high strike rate, and Mushfiqur would come at six as he likes to open up after taking some time and will be playing the finisher role,” selector Habibul Bashar tells, explaining the rationale behind Rahim’s move down to six. “He was doing well and adapted to his new position quite well and he is having no problem in his new role.”
However, what concerns the team management the most are the contributions from the top four batsmen, which further underscores the significance of Rahim’s position at No. 6. While Najmul Hossain Shanto has been in good form batting at No. 3 (two centuries and six half-centuries in 2023), the performances of the remaining top-order batters have not been nearly as promising.
Collectively, the top four have managed an average of 28.83 in 23 matches, whereas teams like India and South Africa maintain averages exceeding 50 for their top four batsmen. In the context of the 10 participating teams in this World Cup, Bangladesh possess the lowest top-four average and the second-lowest top-four strike rate.
Top four team-wise for 2023:
- India: 24 Matches, 4006 Runs, Avg 50.70, SR 103.78, 12x100s, 24x50s
- New Zealand: 23 Matches, 3522 Runs, Avg 42.43, SR 89.41, 8x100s, 20x50s
- Sri Lanka: 25 Matches, 3201 Runs, Avg 36.37, SR 89.61, 5x100s, 25x50s
- Pakistan: 19 Matches, 2988 Runs, Avg 44.59, SR 84.83, 7x100s, 20x50s
- South Africa: 14 Matches, 2630 Runs, Avg 50.57, SR 102.25, 10x100s, 8x50s
- England: 15 Matches, 2393 Runs, Avg 41.25, SR 101.22, 8x100s, 12x50s
- Bangladesh: 23 Matches, 2336 Runs, Avg 28.83, SR 82.05, 3x100s, 16x50s
- Netherlands: 15 Matches, 2085 Runs, Avg 35.33, SR 83.53, 2x100s, 13x50s
- Australia: 14 Matches, 1852 Runs, Avg 37.04, SR 103.29, 2x100s, 13x50s
- Afghanistan: 14 Matches, 1692 Runs, Avg 31.33, SR 78.29, 3x100s, 9x50s
This creates a catch-22 for Bangladesh, who are torn between the temptation to move Rahim back up to resolve their top-order problems, and the necessity of keeping his reliable presence in the middle order as insurance for unforeseen setbacks.
Having accumulated 552 runs at an impressive average of 61.33 since the beginning of this year, Rahim stands as the leading scorer among batters at No. 6. In his 12 innings, he has notched up one century and five half-centuries. The only other player coming close to 500 runs in as many innings is South Africa’s David Miller. Given these numbers and Rahim’s seamless adaptation to his new role, it’s likely that Bangladesh will not be considering any changes.
Most runs at No.6 in 2023:
- Mushfiqur Rahim: 12 Innings, 552 Runs, Highest 100*, Avg 61.33, SR 95.66, 1×100, 5x50s
- David Miller: 12 Innings, 490 Runs, Highest 91, Avg 54.44, SR 124.68, 5x50s
- Dhananjaya Silva: 15 Innings, 365 Runs, Highest 93, Avg 28.07, SR 79.34, 2x50s
- Scott Edwards: 10 Innings, 340 Runs, Highest 67
