In a match that swung wildly under the Sharjah lights, Bangladesh pulled off a tense four-wicket win against Afghanistan in the opening T20I of their series on Thursday. Afghanistan, opting to bat first after winning the toss, stumbled early, losing four wickets for just 43 runs. But Rahmanullah Gurbaz steadied the ship with a gritty 40 off 31 balls, while Mohammad Nabi injected some late fireworks, smashing 38 from 22 deliveries to push the total to 151 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Bangladesh's chase started promisingly. Openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon forged a commanding 109-run stand, with Hasan notching 51 off 37 and Emon blasting 54 from the same number of balls. Indeed, it looked like a stroll to victory in pursuit of 152. However, the plot twisted sharply. Afghanistan's Rashid Khan triggered a shocking collapse, claiming four wickets as Bangladesh lost six in the space of nine runs. The middle order crumbled under pressure, wickets tumbling like dominoes.
Yet, in a display of nerve, lower-order batsmen Narul Hasan and Rishad Hossain steadied the innings. Hasan remained unbeaten on 23 off just nine balls, and Rishad contributed 14 off nine, guiding the team home with eight balls to spare. Bangladesh finished at 154 for 6 in 18.4 overs, sealing a victory that felt far more precarious than the scorecard suggests. Rashid's haul was heroic for Afghanistan, but it wasn't enough to defend what now seems a modest total.
This result keeps Bangladesh's momentum from their recent Asia Cup triumphs alive, where they edged Afghanistan by eight runs in a group stage clash. For Afghanistan, though, it's another close call that slipped away, highlighting perhaps deeper issues in closing out games. Moreover, the series now intensifies, with the second T20I looming.
What does this mean for the teams' preparations ahead?