Islamabad, June 18, 2025: Bangladesh’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim produced a memorable innings on Tuesday, guiding his team out of trouble in the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. With this performance, he not only stabilized the innings but also carved his name into the record books.
Bangladesh decided to bat first however, offspinner Tharindu Ratnayake took two wickets in his test debut for Sri Lanka causing Bangladesh to struggle at 90 for three in the first session of the series.
Nevertheless, Rahim and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto restored order. The duo formed a 147-run partnership, leading the visitors to 292 for 3 at the end of the day. Both batsmen achieved centuries — Shanto remained solid at 136 while Rahim ended the day on 105 not out
At 38 years and 39 Days, Mushfiqur Rahim became the second-oldest player to score a Test hundred in Sri Lanka, just missing Usman Khawaja’s record by three days. Interestingly, no Sri Lankan player has achieved this feat on home soil past the age of 38.
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Rahim is now also the only non-opener over 38 to score a century in Sri Lanka. This was his third Test hundred against the island nation after turning 35 — a rare feat matched only by Pakistan’s Younis Khan and Australia’s Mike Hussey.
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He now holds the record for the oldest Bangladeshi to score a Test century — and has done so more than once. In fact, four of the five oldest centuries by Bangladeshi players belong to Rahim.
Back in 2013, at just 25, Rahim had also made history in Galle by scoring a double century — the youngest non-opener and captain to do so on Sri Lankan soil. Nearly two decades since his debut, he continues to lead Bangladesh’s charge in the red-ball format.
