SPORTS REPORTER

On his way to hitting an 18-ball half-century against Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on Tuesday – the fastest ever 50 by a Bangladeshi in recognised T20s – Khulna Tigers’ Mahidul Islam Ankon hit Shoriful Islam for a six with a helicopter shot, a stroke made famous by former India captain MS Dhoni.

Ankon said that the shot was the outcome of the hours he spent in training, trying to find different ways to dispatch fuller length deliveries, focusing more on timing then brute strength.

“I just wanted to time the delivery. I anticipated that the ball would be in my zone which is why I was able to play that shot,” Ankon said.

“I practiced specifically on how to score against yorkers. That’s where it all came from, trying to score off yorkers or low full-tosses.

“I tried to improve day by day. I knew what would be expected from me batting at six or seven and those are the things I worked on in training,” Ankon said.