Bangladesh beat New Zealand by six wickets on Monday in Chattogram, chasing 183 in 18 overs at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium, with Tawhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain driving their highest successful T20I chase at home.
Bangladesh built the chase through middle-overs acceleration rather than early dominance. The openers added 41 in 33 balls, but both Saif Hassan and Litton Das fell after attacking phases that failed to convert into sustained pressure. Tanzid Hasan consumed 25 balls for 20 runs, which increased the required rate and forced the middle order to absorb risk.
New Zealand briefly controlled the game through Ish Sodhi’s spell. He removed Tanzid and finished with 2-40, while also reaching 164 T20I wickets to match Tim Southee’s national record. His wickets slowed Bangladesh’s scoring, but he failed to contain boundary options once batters targeted his length.
The decisive shift came during Sodhi’s final over. Hridoy and Parvez Hossain Emon took 18 runs from the last five balls, which reduced the asking rate from above 10 to a manageable level. That over removed New Zealand’s control and exposed their lack of support at the other end.
Hridoy then controlled the chase with calculated hitting and strike rotation. He scored 51 not out from 27 balls with a strike rate of 188, combining boundary hitting with gaps to prevent dot-ball pressure. Parvez added 28 from 14 balls before his dismissal, maintaining momentum through straight hitting.
Shamim Hossain finished the chase with a high-tempo approach. He scored 31 not out from 13 balls, using footwork against spin and targeting the off side against seamers. He shared an unbroken 49-run stand with Hridoy, which closed the game without exposing lower-order risk.
New Zealand’s bowling lacked control in the final phase. Ben Lister maintained discipline with 23 runs in four overs, but Matthew Fisher conceded 53 and Nathan Smith leaked 33 in three overs. Sodhi and Josh Clarkson both went above eight an over once Bangladesh attacked in the closing stages.
Bangladesh now lead the series 1-0 and establish a clear chasing template built on middle-order intent and late acceleration.
