UAE Edge Past Bangladesh by 2 Wickets in Sharjah

Bangladesh walked into the Sharjah Stadium eager to regain control, just as they had in the previous match, while their opponents were desperate to secure their first win in the second T20I.

UAE chose to bowl, sending Bangladesh to bat. Bangladesh posted 205 runs within their 20 overs, thanks to a dominant display from their top and middle-order batters who consistently found the boundary ropes. The scorecard featured an abundance of boundaries, a mix of fours and sixes.

The opening pair, Tanzid Hasan (59) and Litton Das (40), laid a solid foundation with an impressive 90-run stand, the highest partnership of the innings. Towhid Hridoy, Shanto, and wicketkeeper Jaker Ali contributed significantly with scores of 45, 27, and 18 runs, respectively.

However, Bangladesh lost their final wicket in the 20th over when Towhid Hridoy fell to Saghir Khan, who finished with two dismissals. Captain Mohammad Wasim took charge of the final over, but the decision backfired. He gave away 22 runs in his two overs. Meanwhile, other bowlers Matiullah Khan, Haider, and Dhruv Parashar also struggled to make an impact, finishing wicketless.

Notably, Rishad Hossain, who remained unbeaten at the end of the innings, scored only two runs from 2 balls, failing to find the boundary. UAE responded aggressively, with their top scorer, Muhammad Waseem, blasting 82 runs from 42 balls, including nine fours and five sixes at an impressive strike rate of 195.24. 

Muhammad Zohaib provided solid support and added 38 runs from 34 balls. A crucial factor in the UAE’s successful chase was the 10 extra runs conceded by Bangladesh, a combination of two leg byes, five wides, and three no-balls.

Although Bangladesh claimed eight wickets, they still could not stop UAE from reaching the target, with the hosts sealing a narrow two-wicket win in 19.5 overs.