Rashid Khan: I think the ground was very wet. 50% of our strength was taken away by the wet ball but we bowled well and it was a great effort with the ball. I feel like the total was enough with our bowling unit. One good innings can take away the game but if we’d controlled our strokemaking up top, it’d have helped. Nabi took responsibility and took the game deep, he took time and his fifty was amazing. Positive things, still long way to go in preparation of the next World Cup.
Shakib Al Hasan: There was nervousness but we had belief that our tailenders can bat. Today it was Shorfiful’s turn to finish the game. Funny but how T20s go, makes it more exciting for the ground.
Towhid Hridoy, POTM: (Chat with Shamim) We tried to rotate strike and take it deep. Win in this type of game gives us confidence. I was nervous when I didn’t get strike in the last over, but I was confident to finish the match as a batsman.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Highlights today, Friday 14-7-2023. 1st T20I (D/N), Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Shakib Al Hasan: We’ll field first obviously because of the weather. T20 is all about momentum, we need to keep it going and do our best against Afghanistan, who are a good side. Normally, you get good carry and bounce in Sylhet. But we have to start well. We have three seamers and spinners.
Rashid Khan: With the weather and the pitch, we’re not sure how it’ll behave, so we’d have liked to bowl. But can’t control the toss. Top-order bats have done brilliantly at the top in the ODIs, they are getting better. As a bowling unit, a total of around 150 would be nice to defend. Don’t know how the wicket will play like, so we need to adjust early and well.
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bowl.
Bangladesh team: 1 Litton Das (wk), 2 Rony Talukdar, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taskin Ahmed, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Afghanistan team: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Hazratullah Zazai, 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Karim Janat, 7 Rashid Khan (capt), 8 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 9 Fareed Ahmad, 10 Azmatullah Omarzai, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Head to Head In T20I’s: 9
Bangladesh Won: 3
Afghanistan Won: 6
Bangladesh T20I Rankings: 9th
Afghanistan T20I Rankings: 10th
Form guide
(last five completed Tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWWW
Afghanistan LWWWL
Match Timings: 12:00 PM GMT | 6:00 PM Local
Umpires – Gazi Sohel, Masudur Rahman
TV Umpire – Sharfuddoula
Match Referee – Neeyamur Rashid
Reserve Umpire – Tanvir Ahmed
Match number – T20I no. 2138
