“As a Team, We Played Brilliantly in the Last Two Matches”: Zaker Ali

In Sharjah, Bangladesh secured a thrilling two-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the second T20 of the three-match series. Following the match, captain Zaker Ali praised the bowlers, saying: “It feels great. As a team, we have played brilliantly in the last two matches, and today we were even more complete. The bowlers got us off to a good start, the wicket played better than the previous day, and we showed excellent character.”

Match Summary

Afghanistan posted 147 runs for five wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

Shariful Islam stood out with the ball, taking 1 wicket for just 13 runs in 4 overs, showcasing his ability to control the middle overs.

Bangladesh’s chase began poorly, losing three early wickets for 24 runs, which put the team under considerable pressure. However, a stabilising partnership between Shamim Hossain (33) and Zaker Ali (32) brought the chase back on track.

Late in the innings, Afghanistan’s bowlers Omarzai and Rashid applied renewed pressure, but a composed effort from Nurul Hasan Sohan and Shariful Islam guided Bangladesh across the finish line.

With this win, Bangladesh lead the series 2–0, effectively making the final match a formality for the Tigers.

This result reflects Bangladesh’s growing resilience and team cohesion, as they have now won back-to-back matches with both strong batting and disciplined bowling performances.