Bangladesh clinch T20I series against Afghanistan

Bangla Press Desk:   Bangladesh sealed a T20I series victory over Afghanistan with a nail-biting two-wicket win in the second match at Sharjah on Friday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead with one game to spare.

Chasing 148, the Tigers slipped to 24 for 3 after losing both openers cheaply. Skipper Jaker Ali (32 off 25) and Shamim Hossain (33 off 22) steadied the innings before Nurul Hasan Sohan’s unbeaten 31 off 21 balls guided Bangladesh home with five balls remaining. Shoriful Islam added a crucial unbeaten 11, while Azmatullah Omarzai starred for Afghanistan with 4 for 23.

Earlier, Afghanistan posted 147 for 5, built around Ibrahim Zadran’s 38 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 30. Mohammad Nabi chipped in with a late 20 off 12, but Bangladesh’s bowlers kept control. Nasum Ahmed (2 for 25) and Rishad Hossain (2 for 45) shared four wickets, while Shoriful impressed with 1 for 13 in his four overs.

Having won the opener by four wickets, Bangladesh ensured the series with one match still to play. The final T20I will be held in Sharjah on October 5.