Parvez Hossain Emon elated to surpass idol Tamim Iqbal's record

Parvez Hossain Emon, hailing from Chattogram, grew up admiring Tamim Iqbal. Emulating his idol’s fearless approach, Parvez dreamed of replicating Tamim's commanding presence at the crease—and on Saturday, May 17, he did just that. Until that night, Tamim was the only Bangladeshi to score a T20I century, a 60-ball effort against Oman during the 2016 ICC World T20. Parvez broke new ground by hammering a 53-ball hundred, showcasing exceptional power-hitting and sharp shot selection. He also set a national record for the most sixes in a T20I innings by a Bangladeshi, launching nine maximums. But for Parvez, the most meaningful moment was matching the feat of his childhood hero. “I’ve always followed Tamim bhai closely. I knew about his century against Oman,” Parvez said after being named Player of the Match against UAE. “It feels amazing to score a hundred and have my name alongside his. As a kid, I watched him play—now I’m here, living a similar moment.” Despite his explosive knock, Bangladesh couldn’t breach the 200-run mark, as wickets fell steadily around him. Only Towhid Hridoy offered any real support, while the rest of the lineup struggled to get going. Parvez held firm until the final over, anchoring the innings with determination. “I didn’t want to lose my intent even as wickets tumbled,” he said. “I stayed focused on my strengths and aimed to bat deep. That was my mindset.” Captain Litton Das praised Parvez’s innings but acknowledged that the finish needed work. “It was a solid total and Emon was exceptional,” Litton said. “But we didn’t close the innings well in the final overs.” Still, Litton expressed full faith in his bowlers—and they delivered. Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib combined for seven wickets, restricting UAE to 164 and securing a 27-run win. “I trust our bowling unit to step up,” said Litton. “Credit to UAE for fighting back in the middle overs, but our bowlers kept their composure and turned the game. It felt tight at one point, but they pulled it back with great control.” With a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, Bangladesh will look to seal the deal in the second and final T20I in Sharjah on May 19.