Bangla Press Desk: Bangladesh survived a mid-innings wobble to secure a four-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the opening T20I at Sharjah on Thursday, sealing the chase with eight balls remaining. What began as a one-sided run chase turned into a nail-biting contest before Nurul Hasan and Rishad Hossain guided the visitors home.
Chasing 152, Bangladesh got off to a flyer thanks to Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon. Both left-handers struck brisk half-centuries, Tanzid scoring 51 off 37 and Emon 54 off 37, as they shared a 109-run stand. But Afghanistan stormed back through Rashid Khan, who spun a web in the middle overs. His spell of 4 for 18 dismantled the top order, triggering a collapse from 109 without loss to 117 for 5 in the space of 19 deliveries. Noor Ahmad’s tight bowling added further pressure as the equation grew stiff.
Nurul then turned the game on its head with inventive stroke-play, smashing 23 off 13 balls, including successive sixes off Azmatullah Omarzai in the 19th over. Rishad provided calm support with 14 not out off nine, sealing the win with a top-edged four to finish on 153 for 6 in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Afghanistan were restricted to 151 for 9 after opting to bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz top-scored with 40 off 31, while Mohammad Nabi’s 25-ball 38 added impetus. Sharafuddin Ashraf’s unbeaten 17 offered late runs, but regular strikes hampered momentum. Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rishad took two wickets each, while Mustafizur Rahman and Nasum Ahmed were economical. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.
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