Bangladesh defeat Pakistan by seven wickets in first T20I

Bangladeshi opener Parvez Hossain Emon scored an unbeaten fifty as the hosts won the first Pakistan vs Bangladesh series by seven wickets in Mirpur on Sunday.

Set to chase a 111-run target, Bangladesh won the game in 15.3 overs to go up 1-0 in the three-match T20I series.

Parvez Hossain Emon hit a quickfire 56 off 39 balls to help his side to a comfortable win despite Pakistan pacer Salman Mirza’s early twin strikes.

Tanzid Hasan fell to Salman Mirza in the very first over after scoring just one run off four balls.

Bangladesh captain Litton Das was also removed by Mirza on one run.

With the hosts reduced to 7/2 in 2.2 overs, Emon and Towhid Haridoy joined hands to build a 73-run partnership to take their side to 80 in 12 overs.

Abbas Afridi broke the partnership in the 13th over when he castled Haridoy for 36.

Jaker Ali then joined Emon, and the duo took Bangladesh over the line inside 16 overs.

Earlier, Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 44 as Pakistan were bowled out for 110 in the first game of the Pakistan vs Bangladesh T20I series.

After being put to bat first at Shere Bangla National Stadium, the tourists were off to a horrible start as opener Saim Ayub was dismissed by Taskin Ahmed after scoring just six runs.

Wicketkeeping batter Mohammad Haris then joined his opening partner Fakhar Zaman, however, he could add just four runs before his dismissal to Mahedi Hasan.

Following Haris’s dismissal, captain Salman Agha arrived at the crease, with the scoreboard showing 32/2 in three overs.

Agha fell to Tanzim Hasan Shakib on three, while Mohammad Nawaz was removed by Mustafizur Rahman for a duck.

The tourists sank further in the first Pakistan vs Bangladesh T20I when Mohammad Nawaz (3) fell short of his crease in the eighth over.

The dismissal left Pakistan reduced to 46/5 in 7.4 overs.

Pakistan’s attempt to rebuild suffered a crucial setback when Fakhar Zaman was run out for 44 in the 12th over.

Khushdil Shah then joined hands with Abbas Afridi as they looked to set a respectable total for Bangladesh. The two stitched a 33-run partnership to take their side to 103 in 16.1 overs.

Shah fell to Mustafizur Rahman after scoring 17 runs, leaving Pakistan struggling at 103/7 in 16.2 overs.

Taskin Ahmed removed Faheem Ashraf for five, while Salman Mirza was run out for a duck.

Abbas Afridi (22) was the last batter to fall as the hosts wrapped the tourists’ inning at 110 in 19.3 overs in the first Pakistan vs Bangladesh T20I.

For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed took three wickets, Mustafizur Rahman picked up a couple, while Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Shakib bagged a wicket each.