In a nail-biter at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Bangladesh held on to beat Pakistan by just eight runs, a victory that secured their first-ever T20I series win over the powerhouse side. Now up 2-0, Bangladesh has already wrapped up the three-match series.
Early collapse stuns Pakistan’s top order
Pakistan’s chase of a 134-run target began in disarray. The top six batters failed to reach double digits. They collapsed to 15 for 5, registering their lowest score at the loss of five wickets in T20Is.
Saim Ayub was run out in the first over, followed by a golden duck from Mohammad Haris. Fakhar Zaman, who had top-scored in the previous game, edged behind down the leg side for 8. The damage continued with back-to-back dismissals of Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz in the fifth over, both falling for ducks.
By the 12th over, Pakistan stood at 47 for 7, with the match appearing out of reach.
Ashraf counterattack gives Pakistan late hope
It felt over—until Faheem Ashraf came to the crease. He fired his first T20I fifty, a defiant 51 that breathed life back into Pakistan’s innings. With Abbas Afridi, he added a surprise 41 for the ninth wicket, giving the chase a pulse.
Ashraf targeted Bangladesh’s spin attack, hitting Mahedi Hasan for a six, then following it with a 20-run over off Rishad Hossain. By the final five overs, Pakistan required 52 runs.
Shoriful Islam dismissed Abbas at the start of the 17th over, but Ashraf kept the fight alive with another six. A dropped catch in the same over gave him another chance.
Debutant Ahmed Daniyal contributed with quick boundaries, and Ashraf reached his fifty with a six. But his innings ended the next ball to a delivery that stayed low. Pakistan needed 13 from the final over. Daniyal struck a boundary off the first ball but was caught at deep midwicket shortly after, sealing Bangladesh’s win.
Jaker Ali leads Bangladesh’s recovery with late blitz
Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings had stumbled early. Litton Das fell for 10, and by the sixth over, the team was 28 for 4. Debutant Salman Mirza and Daniyal picked up key wickets, while a run-out added to the early setbacks.
Jaker Ali once again emerged as Bangladesh’s savior. He batted cautiously at first, then opened up with a series of powerful hits. Partnering with Mahedi Hasan (33 off 25), the pair added 53 crucial runs for the fifth wicket.
After Mahedi’s dismissal, Jaker unleashed a flurry of sixes — three of them over midwicket and one straight down the ground — bringing up his half-century and pushing Bangladesh to a total of 133, which proved just enough.
Bangladesh’s bowlers hold firm
The pace trio of Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan delivered under pressure. Shoriful finished with figures of 3 for 17 and took charge during Pakistan’s powerplay collapse.
Ashraf nearly pulled it off. For a while, it looked like he would. But Bangladesh’s bowlers didn’t break. They kept their cool, and Shamim Hossain took the catch that mattered in the final over. That was it.
Listen to that crowd! Bangladesh seal their maiden T20I series triumph over Pakistan—history made. One more to go in Dhaka—and a 3–0 sweep is on the horizon.
