After 20 innings and a wait of 25 months, Najmul Hossain Shanto finally found his moment of redemption and it came when Bangladesh needed it the most.
At the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram, Shanto brought up his century with a single off 114 balls. His century eventually helped Bangladesh post 265-8 in testing conditions and scripted the side's 55-run victory.
In what was effectively a series-deciding clash against New Zealand, Bangladesh found themselves in deep trouble at 32-3. With the stakes high, specially with World Cup qualification implications looming, Shanto stepped up to anchor the innings.
He rebuilt patiently, taking 70 balls for his first fifty before accelerating with a more fluent second half, needing just 44 deliveries for the next fifty. His composure and adaptability turned the tide.
Shanto's most crucial contribution came through a superb 160-run partnership with Liton Das for the fourth wicket, the second-highest stand by Bangladesh against New Zealand.
Liton made a steady 76 off 91 balls before departing, while Shanto carried on to score 105 off 119 deliveries.
This century marked a full-circle moment for Shanto. His previous ODI hundred had also come at this venue against Sri Lanka in March 2024. With this knock, he became only the third Bangladeshi batter to score an ODI century against New Zealand at this ground.
Coming into the match, Shanto's form had been under scrutiny. Since losing the ODI captaincy last year, despite averaging 51.27 as skipper, his performances dipped significantly. Before this game, he had managed just one fifty in 14 innings, with his average falling to 18.76.
But when it mattered most, Shanto delivered.
