Bangladesh overcame a late scare to defeat Pakistan by 8 runs in the second T20I today, securing the three-match series with a game to spare. In a disciplined bowling performance, the Tigers successfully defended their total of 133, bowling out Pakistan for 125 in 19.2 overs at Mirpur.
Early Carnage by Bangladesh Pacers
Bangladesh’s pace attack set the tone early, ripping through Pakistan’s top order and leaving them reeling. Shoriful Islam and Tanzim Hasan Sakib were the architects of the early damage, picking up crucial wickets in quick succession.

Shoriful struck first, dismissing opener Fakhar Zaman for a mere 8 runs. Zaman’s attempt to heave the ball over midwicket resulted in a suspected glove, and though initially given not out, a confident review from captain Litton Das saw the decision overturned. Shoriful wasn’t done, producing a classic left-armer’s inswinger to trap Mohammad Haris plumb in front for a golden duck on his very next delivery. Haris’s review confirmed the ball was clipping the bails.

The onslaught continued as Tanzim Hasan Sakib joined the party, also claiming two wickets in two balls. Hasan Nawaz, who never looked comfortable, edged the sixth delivery he faced to the keeper, departing for a duck. Immediately after, Mohammad Nawaz poked at a delivery, getting an outside edge that was comfortably taken by Litton Das behind the stumps, also for a duck.

Further pressure was applied by brilliant fielding. Saim Ayub departed for just 1 run after a calamitous run-out. After a superb diving stop by a fielder at deep point, Rishad Hossain collected the ball swiftly and fired a pinpoint throw to wicketkeeper Litton Das, catching Ayub in a horrible mix-up with Fakhar Zaman. These rapid dismissals left Pakistan reeling at the top.

Mahedi and Rishad Turn the Screws
As Pakistan tried to rebuild, Bangladesh’s spinners tightened their grip. Mahedi Hasan picked up a crucial wicket, dismissing Pakistan captain Agha Salman for a sluggish 9 runs off 23 balls. Salman’s attempt to accelerate backfired when he danced down the track to Mahedi, only for the bowler to cleverly drop the ball short. The miscue offered a straightforward catch to Towhid Hridoy at long-on, sending Salman back to the pavilion with a mere 39.13 strike rate.

The match then swung significantly when Mahedi Hasan struck again, trapping Khushdil Shah lbw for 13 runs (18 balls). Khushdil charged down the track, missed a quicker, low delivery that slid down with the angle, and was given out. A review by Khushdil confirmed “three reds” on ball tracking, sealing an excellent decision by the umpire.

Faheem Ashraf’s Lone Fight and Mustafizur’s Finisher’s Touch
Pakistan’s hopes rested on Faheem Ashraf, who played a brilliant innings, scoring 51 off just 32 balls, including four fours and four sixes. His aggressive batting kept Pakistan in the hunt, but his valiant effort was eventually brought to an end by Rishad Hossain. Rishad delivered a quicker, short-of-a-length ball attacking the stumps, which turned massively and kept low. Faheem tried to heave it over the on-side, but the ball snuck through bat and pad, dislodging the bails. This crucial wicket, Faheem’s “brilliant innings” coming to an end, effectively sealed the game for Bangladesh.

The final nail in Pakistan’s coffin came from Mustafizur Rahman, who dismissed Ahmed Daniyal for 17 off 11 balls. Daniyal attempted to heave an off-cutter over the on-side but only managed to drag it with the inner part of his bat, finding Shamim Hossain near the ropes at midwicket. The catch completed Pakistan’s collapse for 125.

Bangladesh’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding proved decisive in securing the 8-run victory and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series.

Pakistan clinches series decider after riling Bangladesh batting
Pakistan has successfully chased down 134 runs, securing a vital victory in the second T20 International and leveling the series against Bangladesh. The win comes after a dominant bowling performance that saw Pakistan consistently chip away at the Tigers’ batting lineup, ultimately restricting them to a manageable total.

Abbas Afridi Delivers Double Blow to Seal Pakistan’s Control
Pakistan’s pace sensation Abbas Afridi proved to be the wrecker-in-chief, delivering two crucial blows by dismissing both Jaker Ali and Rishad Hossain in quick succession. These decisive wickets swung the momentum firmly in Pakistan’s favor.

Jaker Ali, who was spearheading Bangladesh’s fightback with a well-crafted fifty, fell victim to Afridi’s deceptive slower delivery. Attempting another aggressive shot, Jaker mistimed it, sending the ball high towards long-on. Mohammad Nawaz sprinted in and took a comfortable catch, ending Jaker’s valiant innings of 55 runs off 48 balls, which included 1 four and 5 sixes. His dismissal at a strike rate of 114.58 was a significant setback for the Tigers.

Just when Bangladesh desperately needed a late onslaught of power hitting, Abbas Afridi struck again, clean bowling Rishad Hossain with another deceptive slower delivery. Rishad, who had briefly showcased his aggressive intent with a six, departed after a quickfire 8 runs from just 4 balls. Afridi’s delivery to Rishad was a “peach” – a perfectly executed slower yorker darted in on the leg stump line. Rishad attempted to clear his front leg and hoick the ball over mid-wicket but was completely deceived by the pace and line, as the ball crashed into the leg stump, dislodging it.

Early Wickets Plague Bangladesh’s Top Order
Bangladesh’s innings was plagued by early wickets, starting right from the top. Tanzim Hasan Sakib became an early casualty, dismissed for a quickfire 7 runs against Pakistan. The Tigers found themselves under increasing pressure after losing crucial wickets in the powerplay.

The dismissal came from a back-of-a-length delivery from Salman Mirza, angling away outside off stump. Tanzim, attempting a wild swing, could only sky the ball high towards the extra cover area. A ring fielder tracked back brilliantly under the lights to complete a superb catch, sending Tanzim back to the pavilion. This early breakthrough further compounded Bangladesh’s troubles, leaving them with a significant rebuilding task ahead.

Rapid Dismissals Dent Bangladesh’s Momentum
The Tigers continued to reel as they lost two more crucial wickets in quick succession. Following Mahedi Hasan’s brisk departure, Shamim Hossain also fell cheaply, putting Bangladesh under severe pressure.

Mahedi Hasan’s quickfire innings of 33 runs off just 25 balls came to an end thanks to a strategic delivery from Pakistan’s left-arm spinner, Mohammad Nawaz. Nawaz bowled a generously flighted length ball on the stumps that didn’t turn as much as Mahedi might have expected. Mahedi, looking to continue his aggressive approach, mistimed his shot completely, finding the safe hands of Hasan Nawaz at long-off. His innings, which included two fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 132, had provided some much-needed impetus, but his dismissal at this crucial juncture was a welcome relief for the Pakistani side.

Immediately after, Shamim Hossain departed for a mere 1 run off 4 balls, falling victim to Ahmed Daniyal. Daniyal delivered a pacey, three-quarter length ball angling away outside off stump. Shamim attempted to guide it through third man, but only managed to chop the inside edge onto his stumps, giving Daniyal his second wicket of the match. These rapid dismissals severely dented Bangladesh’s momentum and strengthened Pakistan’s position in the game.

Disaster Strikes Early as Hridoy Run Out, Litton Departs Cheaply
Bangladesh’s chase began disastrously with Towhid Hridoy run out for a duck, mirroring the kind of mistakes Pakistan made in their recent match. Facing Salman Mirza, Hridoy drove the ball to mid-off and immediately set off for a quick single. However, Salman Agha collected the ball cleanly and, with a brilliant piece of fielding, unleashed a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. Despite Hridoy’s desperate dive, he was well short of his ground. This early run-out heaped immediate pressure on Bangladesh.

Adding to Bangladesh’s woes, captain Litton Das also fell cheaply, caught by Mohammad Nawaz at deep midwicket off the bowling of Salman Mirza. Mirza, making an immediate impact, delivered a ball that Das attempted to loft over the onside. However, the Bangladesh skipper failed to generate enough power, resulting in a simple catch for Nawaz. Das’s dismissal for 8 runs off 9 balls further compounded the pressure on the Tigers, with their top order continuing to falter.

Naim’s Early Exit Adds to Bangladesh’s Batting Woes
Bangladesh’s struggles with the bat continued in their T20I clash against Pakistan, as opening batsman Mohammad Naim was dismissed for a paltry 3 runs. The breakthrough came courtesy of Pakistani all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, leaving Bangladesh in early trouble. Naim attempted an ambitious lap shot over the wicketkeeper from a good length delivery by Faheem. However, he only managed a faint edge off the top of his bat, sending the ball looping gently into the hands of wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris for a simple catch. This early wicket further compounded the pressure on the Bangladeshi batting lineup, who were looking to set a competitive total in this crucial encounter.

Pakistan Opts to Bowl in Must-Win T20I Against Confident Bangladesh
In a crucial second T20 International, Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first against a confident Bangladesh side looking to seal the series. The decision came after Pakistan’s aggressive batting strategy backfired in the first match, leading to a convincing victory for the home team.

Pakistan’s performance in the series opener drew significant criticism. As Khurram Malik noted, “You cannot fill your batting lineup with a lot of hit-and-miss players. Bad strategy overall, unnecessary aggression. Pakistan team certainly needs a sensible head at the top.” Their top order struggled to rotate the strike, playing a staggering 66 dot balls and exhibiting poor running between wickets and lazy shot selection. Coach Hesson’s complaints about the pitch being “not ideal for anybody” and “not up to international standards” seemed to be contradicted by Bangladesh’s comfortable chase of 110 runs with 7 wickets and 27 balls to spare.

Pakistan was eager to bounce back and level the series, and changes to their lineup were expected. Fans also weighed in, with Haider suggesting, “Sufyan coming in for Nawaz might be the only change in the lineup,” and Hasan advocating for “Sahibzada Farhan should be in the team, he is really good against spin.”

Bangladesh Riding High After Dominant First Match
Bangladesh, meanwhile, entered today’s match with significant momentum, having won the first T20I convincingly. Their bowlers, particularly Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, and Mustafizur Rahman, were exceptional, capitalizing on Pakistan’s misjudgment of the pitch conditions. Despite dropping a few catches, their disciplined bowling restricted Pakistan to a paltry 110 runs.

In their chase, Bangladesh showed remarkable composure. Even after losing two early wickets, Parvez Hossain Emon anchored the innings with an unbeaten 56 runs off just 39 deliveries, guiding his team comfortably across the finish line. This marked Bangladesh’s third consecutive T20I victory, and they were keen to secure the series today without any fuss.

Teams for the Crucial Encounter:
Bangladesh XI: Parvez Hossain Emon, Naim Sheikh, Litton Das (capt & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.

Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt), Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal.