Sports Desk
Bangladesh registered a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the opening T20 International of the three-match series at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Chasing a modest target of 111 runs, the Tigers comfortably reached 112 for 3 in just 15.3 overs, with 27 balls to spare, reports UNB.
Fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman shared five wickets between them as Bangladesh dismissed Pakistan for a low 110 total in the first Twenty20 international in Dhaka.
Taskin finished with 3-22 while Rahman grabbed 2-6 in his four economical overs to end the innings in 19.3 overs for Pakistan’s lowest total against Bangladesh in all T20Is.
Opener Fakhar Zaman top-scored with a 34-ball 44, which included six boundaries and a six, while Abbas Afridi scored 22 and Khushdil Shah 17.
Pakistan’s previous lowest T20I total against Bangladesh was 127-5 at the same venue in 2021.
Sent into bat, Pakistan had a disastrous start with half the side dismissed for 46 in the eighth over with Saim Ayub (six), Mohammad Haris (four) and skipper Salman Agha (three) falling cheaply.
Hasan Nawaz fell without scoring, and Mohammad Nawaz made just three.
Fakhar, dropped on four and 30, added 24 for the sixth wicket before he was run out after being sent back by Khushdil Shah but was caught out of his crease.
Khushdil and Abbas took Pakistan past the 100-mark during their 33-run stand for the seventh wicket, sending the ball over the boundary four times during their partnership.
Last month, Pakistan had whitewashed Bangladesh in a three-match home T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium. Das-led Bangladesh took the field today on the back of an away 2-1 T20I series triumph over Sri Lanka last week.
Pakistan are visiting Bangladesh for the first time since December 2021 as they arrived in the country on Wednesday, after taking part in an extensive training camp in Karachi, the PCB said.
Bangladesh have brought in pacer Taskin Ahmed after he missed the last two T20s in the team’s 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan gave a T20 debut to 31-year-old left-arm fast bowler Salman Mirza, while spinning all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz returns for his first international appearance since January 2024.
The remaining two matches are on Tuesday and Thursday, also in Dhaka.
Earlier in the month, the PCB announced a 15-member squad for the series, with five frontline players, including former captains Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, omitted for a second series in a row.
Squads:
Bangladesh: Litton Das (captain), Parvez Hossain, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed
Pakistan: Salman Agha (captain), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed
