The match Bangladesh will play against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham today will be important not only for reaching the top four spot of the World Cup but also a record for their three senior most players-Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim.

They all created a furore in the cricketing world with their combined emergence on big stage almost 12 years (decade) ago. The debutants performed well for Team Bangladesh what was expected from them. Their combined efforts didn’t go in vain in that World Cup.

Following their lackluster 2003 World Cup performance, Bangladesh stunned two-time World Cup champions India in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, where each of them smoked half century, the victory that helped them progress to the Super Eight.

Bangladesh embarked on their giant-killing mission since their 1999 inaugural World Cup with 1992 World Cup champions Pakistan. They resumed it in 2007 after a break having maintained their continual improved performance.

Since then, cricket world realise that Bangladesh’s games in World Cup means Shakib-Tamim-Mushfiq match. They have a big contribution behind every success of Bangladesh in World Cup (and out of World Cup also).

After their glorified emergence in the flagship event, Bangladesh have played a total of 27 outings in their four World Cups so far. The trio touched a neat record of staying in all the matches of it. In World Cup folklore, there are only two such instances under the belt of three players of a specific team who played together 27 consecutive World Cup matches. Both the instances were made by Sri Lankan players.

Former Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas played together 27 World Cup matches on the trot from 1996-2007.

Mahela Jayawardane, Kumar Sangakkara and Tilkaratne Dilshan matched the record by playing straight 27 World Cup matches together from 2007-2015.

This time Shakib-Tamim- Mushfiq have a great opportunity to eclipse the previous World Cup record of the Sri Lankan players. They could keep the record under their belt if they get down in the field against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham on July 2.

But if the matches against Australia in Down Under World Cup in 2015 and against Sri Lanka in this year’s World Cup in England would not be rained off, they would not break not only the record but also take it to a new height. It would since be the record of playing straight 29 World Cup matches.

The Tigers’ trio has another record ahead of them. The record was set by Australian players- Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath. The trio played together 31 matches in World Cup. To break the record, Tigers’ trio has to play in this year’s World Cup. But they played 19 successive matches.

Even Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas played together 31 World Cup outings. If Bangladesh could be reached the final of the World Cup in England and Wales, it would be 31 matches for them each.