Following Sridharan Sriram’s appointment as Chennai Super Kings’ assistant coach for IPL 2025, his past remarks comparing former Indian captain MS Dhoni to veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Mahmudullah have come back into the spotlight. Both players, known for their finishing abilities in white-ball cricket, have played crucial roles for their respective teams in the lower middle order.
While Dhoni’s T20I batting record wasn’t stellar, he amassed 10,773 runs in 350 ODIs at an impressive average of 50.57 and was renowned for guiding his team home with the tailenders. Mahmudullah, on the other hand, has had an inconsistent career with flashes of brilliance, scoring 8,133 runs in 380 white-ball internationals.
Before the T20 World Cup 2022, Bangladesh dropped Mahmudullah from their squad, a decision Sriram—who was serving as Bangladesh’s technical consultant—justified as part of a necessary succession plan. He emphasized that just as Dhoni couldn’t continue playing forever, Bangladesh needed to prepare for the future.
Speaking to NDTV at the time, Sriram said:
“It is never an easy conversation—he is the most-capped T20 player in Bangladesh. I have utmost respect for him. I have to be the bad man to have the conversation. I think our cricket team needs to have a succession plan. I have always equated Mahmudullah with MS Dhoni in the role he performs for the team.
“He batted at No. 6 just like Dhoni has done for India. He has finished off games. Dhoni cannot go on forever and ever, right? You need to have a succession plan. I think this was the right time to think of someone who can fill in Mahmudullah’s big shoes.”
Despite his omission from the T20I squad, Mahmudullah played 20 more matches in the format, with his last appearance coming in October 2024 before his retirement from T20Is.
Mahmudullah’s Struggles in Champions Trophy 2025
Mahmudullah had a disappointing outing in Bangladesh’s crucial Champions Trophy 2025 match against New Zealand in Rawalpindi. He managed just four runs before throwing his wicket away to Michael Bracewell, who claimed four wickets as Bangladesh was bowled out for 236.
Rachin Ravindra’s brilliant century led New Zealand to victory by five wickets with 23 balls to spare, knocking both Bangladesh and Pakistan out of the eight-team tournament.
