Dhaka, Bangladesh – Hold onto your hats, cricket fans! The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium turned into a battleground of epic proportions on Tuesday night, as Bangladesh pulled off a jaw-dropping eight-run win in the second T20I, sealing their maiden series triumph over Pakistan with a commanding 2-0 lead. With the third match still to come, the Tigers are roaring louder than ever!
The drama kicked off with Bangladesh at the crease, wobbling at a shaky 28 for 4 after Pakistan’s bowlers unleashed a fiery opening spell. Enter Jaker Ali, the unsung hero, who smashed a gritty 55 off 48 balls—complete with five towering sixes and a cracking four—to resurrect the innings. Teaming up with Mahedi Hasan (25 off 33) for a vital 53-run stand, Bangladesh clawed their way to 133 all out in 20 overs on a tricky Mirpur pitch. Pakistan’s Salman Mirza (2-17) and debutant Ahmed Daniyal (2-23) were the tormentors-in-chief, keeping the hosts on edge.
Pakistan’s chase? A total trainwreck! Crashing to 15 for 5 in the powerplay, thanks to Shoriful Islam’s career-best 3-17—scalping big names like Fakhar Zaman (8) and Mohammad Haris (0)—the visitors were left reeling. Faheem Ashraf fought back with a blistering 51 off 32, peppering the stands with four sixes and four boundaries, while debutant Daniyal’s 17 off 11 added some late fireworks. But it wasn’t enough. A crucial 41-run eighth-wicket partnership with Abbas Afridi (19) fizzled out, and Pakistan fell short at 125 all out, undone by Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad Hossain’s clutch bowling in the death overs.
Captain Litton Das couldn’t hide his glee, beaming, “Back-to-back series wins? This is proof we’re leveling up!” On the flip side, Pakistan’s Salman Agha admitted, “We thought 134 was in the bag, but losing wickets early was our undoing—time to regroup fast!”
This victory is a game-changer for Bangladesh, who’ve now beaten Pakistan only five times in 23 T20I clashes. Riding high after their recent 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka, the Tigers are on a roll. For Pakistan, it’s a wake-up call, with their batting woes laid bare ahead of the must-win finale on July 24.
