
Bangladesh secured a dramatic four-wicket win against Afghanistan in the first T20I in Sharjah on Thursday, chasing down Afghanistan's target of 152 with eight balls to spare.
The chase looked straightforward early on, fueled by a sensational 109-run opening stand between Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain, both of whom notched up half-centuries.
However, the game dramatically swung on the brilliance of Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan.
Rashid Khan's Spell Triggers Bangladesh Collapse
Rashid's spin-wizardry ignited a spectacular collapse that saw Bangladesh plummet from 109/0 to 118/6. The star leg-spinner took four wickets across two successive overs, completely dismantling Bangladesh's top order.
In a shocking display, six top-order batsmen fell for just nine runs, turning an easy chase into a nail-biting affair that, at one stage, seemed destined for an Afghanistan win.
Lower Order Heroics Seal the Win
Just when all seemed lost, Nurul Hasan and Rishad Hossain combined for a match-winning, unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 35 runs off just 18 balls to steer Bangladesh to victory.
The duo ensured the game wouldn't go into the final over. Pacer Azmatullah Omarzai was brought on for the 19th over, but Nurul slammed the first two balls for a six over long-on and another six over third man.
After a single, Rishad's top-edged shot flew over the wicketkeeper for a boundary, finishing the match and the chase at 153/6 with eight balls to spare.
Afghanistan's Innings: Nabi's Late Flourish
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, Afghanistan were given a target of 152 to defend. The innings got off to a rocky start, as they lost four wickets within the powerplay.
Nasum Ahmed broke the opening stand, and two more wickets fell quickly, with Darwish Rasooli suffering a mix-up to be run out and Mohammad Ishaq falling for just 1 run. Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 15 during this period, while Atal fell to Tanzim Sakib for 10.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai offered some resistance, but Omarzai was caught by Tanzim for 18. Gurbaz was the anchor but couldn't unleash his explosive potential, eventually falling for a team-high 40 runs off a cut shot that found Rishad Hossain off Tanzim Sakib's bowling.
Mohammad Nabi then provided the much-needed late acceleration. In the 18th over, he hammered three sixes off the first four balls bowled by Taskin Ahmed. His knock ended when a pull shot off Taskin's fifth delivery was caught by Rishad.
Nabi made a vital 38 runs off 25 balls (with three fours and two sixes). Afghanistan, who were nearing 125 when Nabi departed, had been hoping for a score closer to 160.
However, the tail-enders failed to contribute significantly, and the innings closed at 151/9. Sharafuddin Ashraf added 16 off 11 balls, while Rashid Khan fell to a Mustafizur Rahman slower ball for just 4.
The win gives Bangladesh a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. The second T20I is scheduled for Friday.




