'I had a feeling something good will happen' – Shakib Al Hasan

Throughout the World Cup, Shakib demonstrated why he has often occupied the No.1 position on the MRF Tyres ICC Men's ODI rankings for all-rounders in recent times.

Promoted to No.3, he had a platform to showcase the true extent of his batting skill, and he did so with distinction, accumulating 606 runs at an average of 86.57, while striking at 96.03.

He also picked up 11 wickets at 36.27 with an economy rate of well under 5 and a half. While the campaign eventually turned out to be a modest one for Bangladesh – they finish eighth on the points table with just three wins, Shakib always had an inkling that he'd do well personally.

"From the first match, I had a feeling that something good will happen (this time). I scored well in all opening matches in the previous World Cups but I could not continue doing that.

"So I had to push myself to not lose the momentum after gaining it. [But] I was not surprised because I knew what I had in my mind. It's just that what happened is the best that I thought could have happened for me."

His good form in both disciplines meant that he was shouldering a lot of the workload. He faced 631 deliveries and sent down 74 overs! That the 32-year-old continued playing and performing in the later games too was a testament to his fitness levels.

"I was feeling mentally exhausted in the last two matches," said Shakib. "Probably I got over it because my fitness level was quite good. I could work on my fitness for one or two days in between, but at the same time I could have gotten more tired in the process."

"It's tough to balance everything and so in that sense, the last two matches were really challenging. I don't why but I had a feeling that it [increased fitness level] was necessary. It helped as I had a good preparation before the World Cup."