Mirpur: Bangladesh captain Mehdi Hasan Miraz suffered a brain injury and was rushed to hospital during the second ODI against Australia in Dhaka on Thursday, despite helping his team to a historic series win.
The all-rounder was hit on the side of his helmet by Riley Meredith’s short pitch during the 34th over of Bangladesh’s run chase. Mehidi immediately clutched his hit area before falling to his knees in visible discomfort.
Bangladesh team physio Baijedul Islam Khan rushed to the field to conduct a concussion assessment, while Australia’s team doctor joined the medical staff.
A stretcher was brought to the ground after Mehidi vomited during the examination, raising concerns about the severity of the blow.
However, after several minutes of treatment, Mehidi was able to continue batting and the stretcher was eventually removed. He was instrumental in the chase and matched the winning runs with a six, winning Bangladesh’s first ODI series against Australia.
Giving an update after the match, physio Baijedul Islam Khan confirmed that the Bangladesh captain had suffered a concussion and was sent to hospital for evaluation.
“Mehdi Hasan Miraz suffered a concussion during today’s match,” Khan said. “He continued to play after being evaluated in the middle. We have sent him to the hospital to assess his remaining symptoms and for general observation. He will remain there for the next 24 hours.”
It was later learned that Mehdi was not in critical condition, although he was expected to remain under observation at the hospital on Friday as a precaution.
Due to his health, Najmul Hossain Shando represented the captain at the post-match presentation ceremony. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed praised Mehidi’s determination to continue batting despite his injury.
“The way Miraz batted in that position was unbelievable,” Taskin said. “I think he made a quick decision that if he gets out, the new batter is more likely to make an error in that pressure situation.”