Nurul Hasan Sohan has pointed to a lack of mental preparation as the main reason behind his team’s dramatic batting collapse, when the Tigers lost six wickets for just nine runs in the middle overs of their opening T20 against Afghanistan.
Chasing 152, Bangladesh had enjoyed a perfect start with Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon adding 109 runs for the opening partnership. Victory seemed only a matter of time. But under the influence of Rashid Khan’s spin, the middle order suddenly fell apart. In the space of 24 balls, Bangladesh lost six wickets for just nine runs, briefly raising fears of defeat. The win was eventually secured thanks to composed finishes from Rishad Hossain and Sohan, who remained unbeaten on 23 off 13 balls, while Rishad contributed 14 off 9.
Sohan said after the match, “The way our batting collapsed losing so many wickets in such a short time shows that this is something we need to address in the team meeting. We have been struggling with sudden batting collapses for a long time. Everyone is talking about how to improve, and there is certainly room for growth.”
He added, “It’s not a question of skill. We have been playing cricket for a long time, but in crucial moments, our mental preparation lets us down. Emon and Tamim gave us a brilliant start, but doubt entered our minds against world-class spin. The opportunity to improve mentally is greater than the need to improve technically.”
Bangladesh’s middle-order fragility has been a recurring issue. Even after strong starts in recent matches, the team has often collapsed in the middle overs, drawing criticism for their inconsistency. Against Afghanistan, after the initial collapse, the team was rescued by Sohan and Rishad, whose calm finishing guided Bangladesh to a four-wicket victory with eight balls to spare.
Sohan also highlighted the importance of mindset in T20 cricket. “At crucial moments, we often fail mentally. The start was good, but against world-class spin, doubt crept in. We must analyse what went wrong and work on improving both mentally and technically. This is not a new problem; it has been happening for a long time. It’s time to improve.”
Looking ahead to the second T20 of the series, scheduled for 3 October at 8:30 pm Bangladesh time, Sohan is hopeful of building on the win. “We know where we failed. We have another match tomorrow, and it’s time to focus on improvement. The team is aware of the areas that need work, and we want to correct them quickly.”
Bangladesh currently lead the three-match series 1-0.
