Onik makes a bright start

One of the things missing from this year's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was the emergence of a new local cricketer who against all odds came out from obscurity and rubbed shoulders with big international names. Last year, it was Rajshahi Kings' Afif Hossain who took a five-wicket haul on his debut against Chittagong Vikings late in the tournament. It is quite a coincidence that, at a similar stage in the tournament, the same two teams were the backdrop for the debutant performance of BPL 2017.

19-year-old Qazi Onik ran in to bowl the eighth over of the innings, and his first in the BPL, as Chittagong were chasing 158, and far from feeling nervous, produced a slower bouncer to remove Anamul Haque in his first over. He bowled 3.2 overs for figures of four for 17 and, judging by the little jig he did after taking each wicket, he is primed for the big stage.

"Of course I would be nervous, it's a live match and the BPL is pretty high-level," the Bangladesh Under-19 left-arm pacer said after the match. "But then I told myself that it won't do being nervous; I have to keep my focus on the ball and bat.

"[Darren] Sammy liked me when he saw me bowl in the nets, and he told me after the match that I should keep bowling like this if I get more chances."

He had done most of his bowling with another left-arm pacer at the other end by the name of Mustafizur Rahman, who stands as an example of how to go from strength to strength after a bright start. There are others in the BPL who have enjoyed good beginnings like Afif, Abu Hider Rony and Mehedi Maruf, to name a few. Not many have taken off, so it remains to be seen whether Onik -- who is set to represent Bangladesh in the Under-19 World Cup at the end of next year -- can build on this auspicious start.