DHAKA, – As Mushfiqur Rahim is going to lead his side Khulna Tigers in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) final on Friday if nothing unwanted situation arises, this will be the first time in the history of BPL that he would finish it by leading his side throughout the tournament.

In the last six editions of the BPL, Mushfiqur was appointed captain each time at the outset of the tournament for the side he was drafted but for some bizarre reasons he gave up the captaincy halfway through the tournament. He never could lead the side more than seven matches in a tournament indeed. But this time it was exception.

When the question came to the fore how he could manage to lead the side throughout the tournament this time, Khulna Tigers team director Khaled Mahmud Sujon insisted that freedom to express helps to click as cricketer as well as leader.

”I don’t think you need to give him too much information. He is matured enough and experienced guy, he should be free to take his decision. If he takes his own decisions, he is happy,” Khaled Mahmud said here today.

”He is very happy with the team. The sponsor that we have they never gets into team selection, there is no pressure and there is no chaos also among the team,” he added.

Mushfiqur can certainly feel that the ongoing tournament, country’s premier T20 tournament, is a different experience for him as he is playing the final for the first time on seven occasions.

The diminutive batsman is looking totally charged up throughout the tournament for Royals where he is now the leading scorer with 470 runs.

Mushfiqur, who is the all-time leading run-getter in BPL history with 2253 runs in 84 matches, could not achieve the desired success in the previous six editions of BPL, considering he never played the final.

The 32-year old is now keen to achieve the success in the ongoing edition of BBPL.

”There is no pressure like we have to be champion and we have to do well. We all believe that we are a good unit and he believes that too and so he has the confidence to marshalling his troops in the middle,” he said,

Khaled Mahmud continued: ”He likes to discuss and he explains and suggests things regarding the playing XI and then we say, it is fine, it is your call.”

Mushfiqur, who scored four fifties in the tournament, claimed himself unlucky as he failed to score his maiden Twenty20 hundred twice despite coming close on two occasions, falling short for 4 and 2 respectively against Rajshahi Royals and Cumilla Warriors in the league stage.

”He is one of the best batsmen in Bangladesh right now considering the way he improvises and batting like that in this format as well as analyzing the situation and everything,” Mahmud pointed out.

”And most importantly, the amount of dedication he has, I think he is getting the reward of it. His commitment to cricket is very high,” he concluded.