How Did Tanzid’s Fifty Propel Bangladesh to 154/5 Against Afghanistan?

Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sep 16 (NationPress) Tanzid Hasan’s remarkable half-century propelled Bangladesh to a score of 154/5 in 20 overs against Afghanistan during a Group B match of the Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday.

Choosing to bat first, the opening duo of Bangladesh got off to a sensational start with both Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan capitalizing on the Power-play. Initially, the batting team struggled, managing only eight runs in the first two overs without hitting a boundary, until Tanzid unleashed his power, striking four boundaries in one over from Fazalhaq Farooqi. Saif quickly followed suit, hitting a six off AM Ghazanfar and then a four in the next over bowled by Azmatullah Omarzai.

The final over of the field restrictions was particularly fruitful for Tanzid, who launched Ghazanfar for two sixes, accumulating 19 runs from that over. By the end of six overs, Bangladesh had a solid score of 59 without losing a wicket. However, the Afghanistan captain, Rashid Khan, provided the much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Saif for 30 in the seventh over.

After Saif's dismissal, Bangladesh captain Litton Das joined Tanzid at the crease. The fall of a wicket led to two tight overs for the Afghan bowlers, but Tanzid soon struck a six over deep backward square-leg, moving into the 40s as Bangladesh reached 87/1 at the halfway mark.

Shortly after the drinks break, Noor Ahmad made an immediate impact with his first delivery, trapping Bangladesh captain Litton Das leg-before-wicket. The delivery, which was pitched around leg, beat the attempted sweep shot, and a successful review confirmed the decision, sending the skipper back to the pavilion early.

Meanwhile, Tanzid achieved his half-century off 28 balls, before hitting Noor for a six to bring up 100 for Bangladesh in the 13th over. However, Noor struck again in the same over, removing Tanzid for 52, which included three sixes and four boundaries. Shamim Hossain and Towhid Hridoy attempted to maintain the momentum, with Shamim hitting two fours off Rashid Khan in the 14th over and another boundary off Noor in the next over, as Bangladesh stood at 119/3 after 15 overs.

Rashid Khan curtailed Shamim’s innings at 11 in the 16th over, preventing Bangladesh from posting a massive total. In the penultimate over, Omarzai dismissed Hridoy, who scored 26, while Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan contributed identical scores of 12 each, leading Bangladesh to a total of 154/5 in their 20 overs.

For Afghanistan, spinners Rashid and Noor took two wickets each, effectively containing Bangladesh after their strong start.

Brief scores:

Bangladesh 154/5 in 20 overs (Tanzid Hasan 52, Saif Hassan 30; Noor Ahmad 2-23, Rashid Khan 2-26) against Afghanistan.

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