Bangladesh completed a dominant 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan with a stunning 6-wicket victory in Sharjah on Sunday. Chasing down 144 for victory, Bangladesh made light work of the target, finishing with two overs to spare. The victory was set up by a breathtaking innings from Saif Hassan, who delivered a dazzling display of power-hitting.
The chase began cautiously, but Saif soon took charge, blasting an unbeaten 64 off just 38 balls. His knock included seven sixes and two fours, each strike showing clean timing and immense confidence. What started as a composed innings quickly turned into an exhibition of hitting, as Saif launched lofted drives and crisp pulls, dismantling the Afghan attack with ease.
Parvez Hossain Emon fell early for 14, but Tanzid Hasan played a steady knock, scoring 33 off 33 balls, to anchor the innings. Jaker Ali (10) and Nurul Hasan (10*) also provided solid support, but it was Saif’s explosive assault that dictated the tempo. He brought up his fifty with a towering six before sealing the win with another maximum over deep midwicket, wrapping up a comfortable victory and a series sweep for Bangladesh.
Earlier, the bowlers had laid the foundation with a disciplined performance. Mohammad Saifuddin was the standout, claiming three wickets for 15 runs in his three overs. Nasum Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Sakib also impressed, each taking two wickets as Afghanistan struggled to get going, finishing their innings at 143/9.
Sediqullah Atal (28) and Darwish Rasooli (32) briefly resisted, but their efforts were not enough to challenge the confident Bangladesh side. Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s unbeaten 23 lifted Afghanistan’s total slightly, but it was clear from the outset that Bangladesh was in control.
Afghanistan lost wickets consistently throughout their innings. Ibrahim Zadran was dismissed for 2, followed by Rahmanullah Gurbaz at 24 and Wafiullah Tarakhil at 39. As Afghanistan tried to rebuild, wickets kept falling, with Rashid Khan (14.3 ov) and Mohammad Nabi (12.3 ov) both falling cheaply, leaving the lower order to limp to 143/9.
Bangladesh's victory capped off a series where they demonstrated superior skill and composure, asserting their dominance on the field.
Match Stats
Afghanistan's fall of wickets came as follows: 1-20 (Ibrahim Zadran - 2.1 ov), 2-24 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz - 3.1 ov), 3-39 (Wafiullah Tarakhil - 5.6 ov), 4-73 (Sediqullah Atal - 10.1 ov), 5-81 (Azmatullah Omarzai - 11.3 ov), 6-82 (Mohammad Nabi - 12.3 ov), 7-98 (Rashid Khan - 14.3 ov), 8-98 (Abdollah Ahmadzai - 14.4 ov), and 9-132 (Darwish Rasooli - 18.2 ov).
For Bangladesh, the fall of wickets came at: 1-24 (Parvez Hossain Emon - 4.1 ov), 2-79 (Tanzid Hasan - 10.4 ov), 3-109 (Jaker Ali Anik - 13.5 ov), and 4-109 (Shamim Hossain Patwari - 13.6 ov).
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
