Bangladesh are on the verge of scripting history as they prepare to face Pakistan in the second T20 international at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today. The match, set to begin at 6pm local time, will be broadcast live on T Sports and Nagorik TV.
A win today would hand Bangladesh their first-ever T20 series victory over Pakistan, marking another milestone after their maiden series triumph in Sri Lanka just a week ago. Having already stunned the visitors with a commanding seven-wicket win in the first match of the three-game series, Bangladesh are brimming with confidence heading into the crucial encounter.
The home side outclassed Pakistan in the opening match, bundling them out for a modest 110 in 19.3 overs. Bangladesh chased down the target with nearly five overs to spare, securing only their fourth win over Pakistan in 23 meetings in the format. Significantly, three of those victories have come at Sher-e-Bangla, a venue that has increasingly become a fortress for the Tigers.
Mustafizur Rahman delivered a stellar performance with the ball, claiming 2 for 6 in four overs, while Taskin Ahmed contributed with figures of 3 for 22. Their disciplined bowling laid the foundation for a comfortable run chase, spearheaded by Parvez Hossain Emon, who remained unbeaten on 56 off 39 deliveries.
Speaking ahead of the match, Bangladesh captain Liton Das highlighted the team’s familiarity with the conditions. “We definitely know about the wicket because we’ve played lots of cricket in Mirpur. It’s not an easy wicket to bat on, but the way we batted, it looks good,” he said, affirming that the team would look to continue with the same approach in the second match.
Bangladesh are expected to stick with their winning combination, with no changes anticipated in the line-up.
Pakistan, on the other hand, find themselves in a must-win situation. The team, which whitewashed Bangladesh in a home series back in May, appeared unsettled in the opening clash. Head coach Mike Hesson admitted the side had misread the conditions.
“We got off to a little bit of a flyer. Fakhar Zaman played four or five shots. It gave us a false indication about how the surface was playing,” said Hesson. “We didn’t help ourselves through the middle. We chose some poor options but when the ball started to nip through and bounced steeply, we probably didn’t assess that it was a bit more challenging to play high-risk shots.”
The match is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s cricketing journey, as they look to claim a rare series victory against a top-tier nation.
Squads:
Bangladesh: Liton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Sufyan Moqim.
