Bangladesh Edges Afghanistan in Thrilling First T20I

Sharjah, UAE — Bangladesh narrowly defeated Afghanistan by four wickets in the first T20 International on Thursday night, securing a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Chasing a target of 152 runs, Bangladesh’s openers Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan set a strong foundation, racing to 109 without loss. However, a dramatic collapse ensued as Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan took four wickets in quick succession, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 118 for 6.

Emon scored 54 runs off 37 balls, while Tanzid contributed 51 off 38. The pair had an impressive opening partnership but fell victim to Rashid, who first dismissed Emon and then swiftly dealt with Saif Hassan, Jaker Ali, and Shamim Hossain, as well as Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who was trapped lbw by Noor Ahmad.

Amid the chaos, Nurul Hasan Sohan and Rishad Hossain managed to stabilize the innings. They added an unbeaten partnership of 35 runs to steer Bangladesh to victory with just eight deliveries remaining.

Earlier in the match, Afghanistan struggled early in their innings, falling to 40 for 4, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz‘s 40 runs off 31 balls and Mohammad Nabi‘s 38 runs off 25 helped them reach a total of 151 for 9. Bangladesh’s bowlers, particularly Tanzim Hasan and Rishad Hossain, each took two wickets.

The second T20I will also be played at the same venue on Friday, where Bangladesh hopes to clinch the series ahead of the final match on Sunday. Following this series, the two teams are set to compete in a three-match ODI series in Abu Dhabi.