Bangladesh chase 193 to seal T20I series against Zimbabwe

Bangladesh registered a brilliant 5-wicket win over Zimbabwe with 4 balls to spare to seal Twenty 20 international series 2-1 at Harare on Sunday.

Scintillating batting performance by Soumya Sarker and fantastic finishing from Shamim Hossain ensured Bangladesh’s victory despite Zimbabwe posted their highest ever T20I total against Bangladesh.

Blessing Muzarabani struck early as Mohammad Naim departed in the third over scoring only 3 off 7 deliveries. Soumya and Shakib Al Hasan made a 50-run partnership before the latter holes out at long-off. Luke Jongwe took the prized wicket of Shakib who scored 25 off 13 ball with one 4 and two 6’s.

Mahmudullah and Soumya built an important third wicket partnership of 63 runs off 35 balls. Soumya fall prey to Jongwe leaving Bangladesh need 61 off 39 balls after scoring 68 off 49 deliveries.

Afif Hossain hit two sixes in his short lived innings of only five balls scoring 14.

Young Shamim Hossain then bludgeoned three successive fours in the 18th over of Myers, leaving Bangladesh need only 13 from last two overs.

After Mahmudullah departed scoring 34 off 28 balls, wicketkeeper Nurul joined Shamim to take the tigers home.

Bangladesh needed 5 from the last over and Shamim took only two balls to ensure the victory.

Playing only his second T20I match, Shamim was not out for 31 off just 15 balls.

Jongwe and Muzarabani bagged two wickets each while Wellington Masakadza got one.

Earlier, Zimbabwe piled up 193 for 5, banking on opener Wessley Madhevere’s brilliant 54 from 36 balls and wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva’s fluent 48 off only 22 balls.

Soumya scalped two prized wickets of Chakabva and captain Sikandar Raza in 12th over. But Zimbabwe still managed to get a huge total on the board, thanks to Ryan Burl’s cameo of 31 off 15 balls.

Soumya bagged two wickets while Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin and Shoriful Islam got one each.

Soumya was adjudged both man of the match and man of the series.

Bangladesh beat the hosts by 8 wickets in the first match while Zimbabwe beat the visitors by 23 runs in the second match.