Tamim or Mushy: Who will win the 5k race?

Two Bangladesh batters – Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim – are on the verge of reaching the five thousand-run milestone in Test cricket as the Tigers take on Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series, with the first Test slated to begin in Chattogram from tomorrow.

No player from Bangladesh has managed to pull off this feat yet and Shakib Al Hasan remains the only other player to have scored beyond four thousand runs in Tests.

Even though Mushfiqur is the frontrunner to win the race with the wicketkeeper-batter being 68 runs short of 5,000 career runs, Tamim, on 4848 runs, cannot still be counted out that easily, given the opener's blazing form displayed in the recently-concluded Dhaka Premier League.

Tamim happens to be 152 runs away from the landmark and if the flamboyant opener fires on all cylinders right from the first innings of first Test, he could even score those runs before Mushfiqur comes out to bat.

Irrespective of whoever gets to the mark first, it will be a great occasion for Bangladesh cricket nonetheless.

[Related read: Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test Records]