Khushdil Shah and Abbas Afridi’s responsible innings prevented Pakistan from a complete collapse as they set a 111-run target for Bangladesh in the first T20I match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka, on Sunday.
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan got off to a promising start, with openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub finding early boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking.
However, the momentum quickly shifted when Taskin Ahmed struck in the second over, removing Saim Ayub for six, leaving Pakistan at 18-1 in 1.5 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris briefly showed intent with a boundary off Mahedi Hasan in the third over but was dismissed on the very next delivery, reducing Pakistan to 32-2.
The pressure intensified in the fifth over as skipper Salman Ali Agha struggled to rotate the strike against Tanzim Hasan Sakib. After missing several deliveries, Agha eventually fell for just three runs off nine balls, leaving Pakistan at 36-3.
Bangladesh continued to dominate in the final over of the powerplay, with Mustafizur Rahman dismissing debutant Hassan Nawaz for a duck, reeling the visitors at 41-4 in 5.5 overs.
Pakistan’s woes deepened when Mohammad Nawaz was run out following a miscommunication, making it 46-5 in 7.4 overs. Fakhar Zaman, who stood firm at one end, tried to stabilise the innings with a hard-fought knock.
He scored 44 off 34 deliveries before another miscommunication—this time with Khushdil Shah—led to his run-out, leaving Pakistan at 70-6 in 11.3 overs.
Abbas Afridi injected some life into the innings with a brief counterattack, smashing three sixes, while Khushdil Shah contributed with valuable runs.
The pair added a 33-run partnership before Mustafizur Rahman struck again, removing Khushdil for a sluggish 17 off 23 balls. Pakistan were 103-7 in 16.2 overs.
In the final stages of the innings, Faheem Ashraf was dismissed for five in the 20th over by Taskin Ahmed, who continued his fiery spell.
Debutant Salman Mirza was then run out without scoring, and Abbas Afridi fell for 22 in the same over, giving Taskin his third wicket as Pakistan were bowled out for 110.
For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed led the attack with figures of 3 wickets, while Mustafizur Rahman claimed 2. Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Sakib chipped in with one wicket each.
