Was not thinking about breaking records with triple century, admits Tamim Iqbal

After scoring a triple hundred, Tamim joined the elite club of scoring a triple century after Raqibul Hasan reached the feat first in March 2007. Playing for the East Zone, the southpaw admitted that the wicket was a good batting surface having nothing on offer for the bowlers. He added he started taking chances only after he reached the magical mark and didn’t try taking a risk before reaching the milestone. 

"I was very determined. The wicket was playing good and the wicket was not spinning or doing that much and so I kept it very simple. After scoring three hundred, I took some chances. I just kept on batting, playing cricketing shots. And I was looking for boundary options rather than hitting over boundaries," said Tamim after his historic feat. 

Tamim revealed that this inning will always remain close to his heart. He further adds that he only started thinking about the triple century once he reached 260-270 to not disturb his focus, which might have resulted in his wicket. 

"Till I had already made 260-270, I was not thinking about it [triple century]. When I touched 280, then I started thinking about it. If I had kept on thinking about it more, then it would have hampered my chances. So I tried to keep it very simple. I never thought that I would score a triple hundred,” he added. 

The 30-year-old surpassed Raqibul to score the highest first-class runs, scoring 42 fours and 3 maximums during his gruelling stay at the crease. Incidentally, Raqibul was also involved in the game when he broke his record. 

“Everyone dreams definitely but I never thought it would come in this match. The most important thing for me was how I batted, more than how much runs I made. The most pleasing thing was how I batted. Happy but I hope that I can continue the same form," he added.”

Tamim will now return to the Bangladesh camp ahead of their Test series against Pakistan, with the Test starting on February 7 in Rawalpindi.