In a match that swung wildly from one side to the other, Bangladesh pulled off a tense four-wicket victory against Afghanistan in the opening T20I of their series in Sharjah. The game, played under the lights on Thursday, saw Afghanistan post a modest 151 for 8 after being put in to bat. Their innings started disastrously, crumbling to 43 for 4 early on, but a gritty recovery from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who smashed 40 off 31 balls, and Mohammad Nabi's explosive 38 from just 22 deliveries, pushed them to a defendable total.
Bangladesh's chase began promisingly enough. Openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon tore into the bowling, forging a commanding 109-run stand in the powerplay—Hasan with 51 off 37, Emon 54 off 37. It looked like a stroll. However, disaster struck soon after. The middle order imploded spectacularly, losing six wickets for a mere nine runs as Rashid Khan claimed a devastating four-wicket haul. Indeed, the collapse had hearts racing, with Bangladesh slipping to 118 for 6 in what seemed like a mirror of Afghanistan's own woes.
Yet, in the end, cooler heads prevailed. Narul Hasan, unbeaten on 23 from nine balls, and Rishad Hossain, who fired 14 off nine, steered the visitors home with eight balls remaining. Bangladesh finished at 154 for 6 in 18.4 overs, a score that belied the drama. Afghanistan's bowlers, led by Khan's 4 for 21, fought valiantly but couldn't quite seal the deal. This win keeps Bangladesh's momentum going after their recent Asia Cup showing, while Afghanistan will rue those early breakthroughs that didn't convert.
The series now heads into its next phase with both teams eyeing dominance. Moreover, such nail-biters highlight how unpredictable T20 cricket can be, even for sides with growing pedigrees like these.
What does this mean for the rest of the tour, as both nations push to build on their international strides?