Tawhid Hridoy praised team effort and said players stepped up when others failed after Bangladesh national cricket team beat New Zealand national cricket team by six wickets in Chattogram.
Bangladesh chased 183 in 18 overs at Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium. The win gave them a 1-0 lead in the series. It was also their highest successful T20I chase at home.
Hridoy said the team stayed calm even when the start was not ideal. “It is a team game. Not everyone will perform every day. When the powerplay is not good, the middle order has to take more responsibility. We covered well for each other,” he said.
He said his plan was clear after coming in to bat. “We needed runs at that time. My plan was to attack. If I did not attack, it could have become tough for the team. I just tried to play as attacking as possible,” he said.
Hridoy said T20 cricket can change very fast. “It is a game of two overs. If you bat well or take wickets in two overs, the game moves from one side to the other. At that time, attacking was the best option to win,” he said.
He pointed to the experience in the team. “Most of our players have played around 30 matches. If we cannot win these matches, it is not a good sign. As batters, we have to take responsibility in these situations,” he said.
Hridoy said impact matters more than big scores in this format. “In T20, an impactful innings matters more than a fifty. What Shamim did today was even bigger than a fifty. Both he and Emon made the chase easier,” he said.
He praised Shamim Hossain for his finishing. “He plays shots that very few can play. At number six, you need someone who can score from anywhere and put bowlers under pressure,” he said.
Hridoy also spoke about the team’s mindset. “We did not feel the pressure today. Winning matches like this will build confidence for the team,” he said.
He gave credit to the bowlers as well. “Everyone bowled well. Ripon was very good on debut, especially in the last over. I want to give credit to all the bowlers,” he said.
The win gives Bangladesh a strong start to the series and builds belief in their middle order and finishing group.
