Bangladesh won the second T20 by four wickets on Sunday, chasing 171 as Mohammad Saifuddin and Mahedi Hasan stepped up with decisive late contributions despite Litton Das being named player of the match.
Bangladesh made an assured start after the early dismissal of Tanzid Hasan Tamim. Parvez Hossain Emon and Litton Das rebuilt calmly, adding 86 runs inside 10 overs to put their side firmly in control. Litton then combined with Saif Hassan to push the score to 138 for two after 15 overs, only for the game to twist sharply. Litton, Saif Hassan and Nurul Hasan Sohan fell in quick succession, leaving Bangladesh 157 for six and with the asking rate rising.
Saifuddin arrived with the match in the balance and responded with an unbeaten 17 from seven balls, striking one six and two fours to steady the chase. After a long period without such an opportunity in national colours, he made the most of it.
Speaking after the win, Mahedi Hasan praised Saifuddin for delivering under pressure. “To be honest, Saifuddin is on and off, not regular,” Mahedi said. “When the top order does well, the lower order often does not get the chance to bat. In international cricket they sometimes have to wait a long time to bat, but if the top collapses they may have to come in early. I would say that after a long time Saifuddin has come in and played a magnificent innings. Those two boundaries in that pressure moment were very important for us.”
Mahedi, who came in at number eight, sealed the victory himself with the match winning boundary. He finished with six runs from three balls and said every player must be ready to adapt. “In T20 cricket the momentum can change at any time,” he said. “They scored 80 for one in the first six overs but could not keep it up. Cricket is like that, anything can happen, so everyone must be prepared.”
Bangladesh completed the chase with composure, securing a confidence boosting win built on contributions across the order and the composure of their lower middle order when the chase threatened to unravel.
