BAN vs AFG: Mehidy Hasan Miraz And Najmul Hossain Shanto Create History During Asia Cup 2023 Match Against Afghanistan

Bangladesh registered a convincing 89-run victory in the must-win encounter against Afghanistan to keep their Super Four hopes alive in the ongoing Asia Cup. Bangladesh earned two crucial points in the second and last league-stage match of the tournament.

Following a loss against Sri Lanka in their tournament opener, the Shakib Al Hasan-led team bounced back to register their first victory in the Asia Cup. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto guided the team to victory with centuries at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz And Najmul Hossain Shanto Create History

Bangladesh experimented with Mehidy Hasan Miraz as an opener after opting to bat first in the must-win match on Sunday. Mohammed Naim (28) and Mehidy provided a good start for the team. However, they lost Naim and Towhid Hridoy in back-to-back overs.

Mehidy and Najmul Hossain Shanto added a 194-run third-wicket partnership to build the innings. Both batters reached centuries and helped the team reach a mammoth total. Mehidy retired hurt for 112 runs while Shanto was dismissed with a well-made 104 runs.

Mehidy and Shanto’s partnership set a new record for a team in the Asia Cup, surpassing Imrul Kayes and Junaid Siddique’s previous best of 160 runs against Pakistan in 2010. This is the third-highest ever for Bangladesh in ODI cricket and their highest against an Asian team.

Bangladesh Register 89-Run Victory In Lahore

Bangladesh maintained their momentum, accumulating a total of 334/5 on the board in 50 overs. Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan added crucial runs in the death overs. Shakib Al Hasan scored 32 runs off 18 balls, and Rahim contributed 25 runs from 15 deliveries.

Afghanistan struggled to gain momentum as Shoriful Islam made an early breakthrough by dismissing the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz. However, the performances of Ibrahim Zadran (75), Rahmat Shah (33), and Hashmatullah Shahidi (51) came in a losing cause.

Also read: BAN vs AFG: “Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto Played Really Well” – Shakib Al Hasan After Dominant Win vs Afghanistan