Taskin Ahmed steps in as concussion sub for Mohammad Saifuddin

Saifuddin had to be replaced after being hit on the helmet by a Dushmantha Chameera bouncer

Mohammad Saifuddin, the Bangladesh allrounder, has been ruled out of the second ODI against Sri Lanka, being played on Tuesday in Dhaka, after suffering concussion when he was hit on his helmet by a delivery from Dushmantha Chameera. Taskin Ahmed has since replaced Saifuddin as a like-for-like concussion substitute for the rest of the game, the first time a team has been forced to make use of the rule in a men’s ODI.

The incident took place in the 47th over of Bangladesh’s innings. The short ball from Chameera pinged Saifuddin on the helmet as he missed with an attempted hook. Saifuddin ended up running himself out that same ball as he and Mushfiqur Rahim, who led Bangladesh’s batting effort with a 127-ball 125, tried to steal a single but Kusal Mendis caught Saifuddin short with a direct hit. Saifuddin walked off with the Bangladesh team physio by his side.

His replacement, Ahmed, did play the first match of the series, which Bangladesh won by 33 runs, but proved ineffective – he conceded 62 runs off nine wicketless overs, the economy rate of 6.88 the poorest among the six Bangladesh bowlers to be in action on the day.

Ahmed – and Saifuddin – however, entered the record books as the first instance of a concussion sub in a men’s 50-over international game. It has happened once in a women’s ODI, when Shabika Gajnabi replaced Chinelle Henry for West Indies against India in North Sound on November 1, 2019.

Saifuddin, meanwhile, played a useful hand in the win in the first ODI, first hitting two fours in a nine-ball 13* from No. 8 as Bangladesh scored 257 for 6, and then picking up the wickets of Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga on his way to returns of 2 for 49 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 224.