Bangladesh Edge Afghanistan in Thrilling T20I to Lead Series 1-0

Bangladesh survived a late Afghanistan fightback to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series in Sharjah. Rashid Khan almost turned the match around with a brilliant four-wicket haul, but timely contributions from Nurul Hasan and Rishad Hossain guided Bangladesh to a four-wicket victory.

Bangladesh’s Steady Chase

Chasing a modest target of 152, Bangladesh began cautiously, scoring just 14 runs in the first three overs. Openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon soon accelerated, with Emon clearing the ropes twice off Mohammad Nabi and benefitting from a couple of reprieves in the same over. The pair scored 50 runs in the power play to put Bangladesh in a strong position.

Post-powerplay, Tanzid Hasan took the attack to Afghanistan, hitting sixes off both Nabi and Noor Ahmad. Both openers continued their assault, adding more boundaries and putting Bangladesh at 95/0 halfway through the innings. They reached personal fifties and shared a century partnership before Fareed Ahmad finally broke through.

Rashid Khan Sparks Afghanistan Comeback

Rashid Khan then delivered a sensational spell, dismissing Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan in the same over and picking two more wickets in his final over. Bangladesh went from 109/0 to 118/6 in a dramatic collapse, with Noor Ahmad adding to the pressure. At this stage, victory seemed within Afghanistan’s grasp.

However, Rishad Hossain and Nurul Hasan steadied the innings with crucial boundaries. With the equation down to 16 runs from 12 balls, Nurul hit back-to-back sixes to seal the win for Bangladesh in 18.4 overs.

Afghanistan’s Struggle with the Bat

Earlier, Afghanistan had a mixed batting performance despite a strong start from Ibrahim Zadran, who struck three boundaries in the opening over. They lost both openers early, and a run-out of Darwish Rasooli left them at 33/3 by the end of the powerplay. Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked set, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals.

Gurbaz’s dismissal for 40 with five overs left left Afghanistan with just four wickets. Mohammad Nabi’s late cameo, including three sixes in the 18th over, and a quick cameo from Sharafuddin Ashraf helped Afghanistan post 151/9 in their 20 overs—just short of challenging Bangladesh effectively.

Brief Scores

Afghanistan: 151/9 in 20 overs

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz 40, Mohammad Nabi 38

• Rishad Hossain 2/33

Bangladesh: 153/6 in 18.4 overs

• Parvez Hossain Emon 54, Tanzid Hasan Tamim 51

• Rashid Khan 4/18

Bangladesh won by 4 wickets

Bangladesh now leads the series 1-0 as both teams prepare for the second T20I, where Afghanistan will look to bounce back from their near-comeback in Sharjah.