Nasum stars as Bangladesh edge Afghanistan to stay alive in Asia Cup

Bangladesh kept their Asia Cup T20 hopes alive with a hard-fought eight–run victory over Afghanistan in their final Group B fixture at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed starred with the ball, returning figures of 2-11 from his four overs, while leg-spinner Rishad Hossain (2-18) and pacer Mustafizur Rahman (3-28) also chipped in as the Tigers bowled out Afghanistan for 146 in 20 overs, defending a modest 154-5.

Earlier, Bangladesh got off to a flying start after skipper Litton Das opted to bat first. Openers Tanzid Tamim and Saif Hassan powered the Tigers to 59 without loss in the Powerplay. Saif, the early aggressor, struck a six and two fours in his 24-ball 26 before falling to Rashid Khan, while Litton (nine off 11) departed cheaply against Noor Ahmad.

Tanzid kept the scoreboard moving, smashing four boundaries and three sixes en route to a 28-ball half-century -- his seventh in T20Is -- but his dismissal in the 12th over slowed Bangladesh's momentum. The Tigers could only add 35 runs in the final five overs as Towhid Hridoy (26 off 20) and Jaker Ali (12* off 13) struggled to accelerate, leaving the side with a below-par total. Rashid (2-26) and Noor (2-23) led the Afghan attack.

Defending 155, Bangladesh found the perfect start through Nasum, who trapped Sediqullah Atal lbw with the very first ball of the innings before removing Ibrahim Zadran in the fifth over. Rishad then dismissed Gulbadin Naib (16) and the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35 off 31), as Afghanistan stumbled to 75-4 after 12 overs.

Azamtullah Omarzai smashed three sixes and a four in a 16-ball 30-run blitz to keep Afghanistan in the game but he was undone by Taskin Ahmed's timely slower ball in the 16th over.

Karim Janat (six off eight balls) was runout after Nurul Hasan Sohan's brilliance, and while Rashid Khan threatened, Mustafizur's death-bowling expertise proved decisive. The left-arm pacer picked up three wickets to snuff out Afghanistan's chase and seal victory for the Tigers.

With the win, Bangladesh finished the group-stage with two wins from three games, bouncing back strongly from their six-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the previous outing. They will now hope that Sri Lanka beat the Afghans on Thursday to secure a place in the Super 4 alongside the Lankans. If the Lankans lose, however, the net run-rate will determine which two sides will go through. Despite the victory, Bangladesh has the worst net run-rate (-0.270) amongst the three teams, with Afghanistan boasting the best (2.150); Sri Lanka sits second in that regard with a net run-rate of (1.546). 

Nasum, Rishad give Tigers control 

Spinners Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain picked up two wickets each to give Bangladesh control as the Tigers reduced Afghanistan to 75-4 after 12 overs.

Nasum trapped opener Sediqullah Atal lbw with the first delivery of the innings and came back in the fifth over to dismiss Ibrahim Zadran (five runs in 12 balls) in the same fashion. Rishad then got in on the act as he dismissed Gulbadin Naib (16 runs off 14 balls) in the ninth over before he got the prized scalp of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35 runs off 31 balls) in the 11th over .

Nasum strikes twice in Powerplay 

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed struck twice in the Powerplay to reduce Afghanistan to 27-2 at the end of the first six overs. 

Nasum trapped opener Sediqullah Atal lbw with the first delivery of the innings and came back in the fifth over to dismiss Ibrahim Zadran in the same fashion. 

Tigers fall flat after strong start, post 154-5

Bangladesh failed to capitalise on a strong start and ended up posting 154-5 after batting first in their final Group B fixture of the Asia Cup T20 against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Opener Tanzid Tamim notched up his seventh T20I half-century, reaching the feat in 28 balls, as the Tigers raced off to 59 for no loss in the Powerplay. The riveting start did lose steam and the loss of opener Saif Hassan (24-ball 26) and Litton Das (11-ball nine) after the Powerplay slowed down run-scoring. 

The Tigers were 87-1 at the halfway mark, and 119-3 after 15 overs, meaning they only managed to score 35 runs in the last five overs. Towhid Hridoy's sluggish 20-ball 26 played a part in that but it was further aggravated by Jaker Ali who made the play-and-miss the main theme in his knock that saw him stay unbeaten on 12 runs off 13 balls. Meanwhile, Nurul Hasan Sohan was able to get going put away two fours in an unbeaten six-ball 12.

Rashid Khan (2-26) and Noor Ahmad (2-23) scalped two wickets each, while Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with one for the Afghans.

Tanzid fifty keeps Tigers ticking 

Bangladesh slowed down after a blistering start in the Powerplay but opener Tanzid Tamim kept motoring on the Tigers with his seventh T20I fifty in their final Group B fixture of the Asia Cup T20 against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Tanzid smashed four boundaries and three maximums as he notched up his fifty in 28 balls, propelling the Tigers to 95-2 after the 12th over. 

The Tigers had raced off to 59 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay but could only score 36 runs in the next six overs.

After Rashid Khan castled Saif Hassan in the seventh over, left-arm spinner Noor Ahmed got in the act, trapping Bangladesh skipper Litton Das lbw in the 11th over. He chewed up 11 balls for nine runs. 

Openers give Tigers flying start 

Bangladesh openers Tanzid Tamim and Saif Hassan gave their side a flying start as the Tigers scored 59 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay in their final Group B fixture of the Asia Cup T20 against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Saif was the initial aggressor smashing a six and two fours but he struggled to keep it up and managed an unbeaten 24-ball 26, while Tanzid caught up and raced off to 32 runs off 12 balls, thanks to two sixes and four fours.   

Tigers make four changes, opt to bat against Afghanistan 

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das won the toss and chose to bat first in their final Group B fixture of the Asia Cup T20 against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The Tigers made four changes. Parvez Hossain, Sheikh Mahedi, Shoriful Islam , and Tanzim Sakib made way for Saif Hassan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Nurul Hasan Sohan. 

This is a must-win match for the Tigers who come into the contest on the back of a six-wicket loss at the hands of Sri Lanka which has left their chances of qualification hanging by a thread. Litton's side won their opening contest convincingly against Hong Kong. 

Bangladesh XI: 1 Saif Hassan, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan Sohan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.

Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi.