'I scored a century in the Premier League for the first time, what will Papon Bhai give?'

Shakib Al Hasan, renowned cricketer and key player expected to be included in the T20 World Cup squad, was surprisingly not part of the team for the first three matches against Zimbabwe in Chittagong. Alongside him, Mustafizur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar were also omitted from the squad. However, Shakib’s participation in the last two matches of the series appears almost confirmed.

After returning from the United States, Shakib participated in the DPL Super League match, where he scored a record century in his first game back. Following this remarkable performance, Shakib humorously mentioned that he had called BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon to ask what gift he would receive for his century.

Shakib, who has played a total of 307 List-A matches including 247 ODIs for the Bangladesh national team, scored his first century in domestic cricket in his 60th match. With this latest achievement, he now holds 10 centuries in List-A matches, including nine scored in ODIs for the national team.

When asked if BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon had congratulated him for his century, Shakib replied, "No, he didn’t, so I called him and asked, 'Papon Bhai, what will you give me now that I've scored a century after so long? It's my first century in the Premier League.'"

If everything remains on track, Shakib is expected to dazzle on the field in the national team jersey on May 10th. At the inauguration of a bike showroom called Rubel Express today, Shakib humorously commented, "I didn’t get a chance in the first three matches; if the selectors consider me for the last two, then... I’ve been trying to perform well in the Premier League so that they notice me. (I was joking). I don’t know if they will think of it, but from what I’ve heard, I’m set to play the last two matches."

Shakib's confident demeanor and recent performance strongly indicate his readiness and eagerness to contribute significantly in the upcoming matches, boosting the morale and strength of the national team.