Bangladesh registered their first-ever T20I victory over Afghanistan on foreign soil, keeping their Asia Cup campaign alive with a hard-fought eight-run win in Sharjah on Monday night. The decisive moment came when Taskin Ahmed dismissed Afghan skipper Rashid Khan, sealing the Tigers’ much-needed triumph.
Batting first after winning the toss, Bangladesh made a solid start with new opener Tanzid Hasan’s blazing 52 off 31 balls. Partnered by Saif Hassan (30) and Towhid Hridoy (26), the Tigers reached 154 for five in 20 overs. However, a sluggish finish in the last 10 overs meant they fell short of a potentially bigger total.
Afghanistan’s chase faltered early under the brilliance of Nasum Ahmed, who struck with the very first ball of the innings. Tight spells from Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain kept the Afghans in check, eventually restricting them to 146 runs.
Mustafizur emerged as the leading wicket-taker with three scalps, while Nasum and Rishad bagged two each. Taskin also claimed two important wickets. Nasum, however, was named Player of the Match for his miserly spell of 2 for 11 from four overs.
The victory kept Bangladesh’s hopes of reaching the Super Four stage alive. Their fate now depends on Thursday’s Sri Lanka-Afghanistan clash at the same venue. A Sri Lankan win would confirm Bangladesh’s progression, while an Afghan win would leave the Tigers relying on net run-rate calculations.