UAE trounce Bangladesh in 3rd T20I to set history with 2-1 series triumph

ANI May 22, 2025 213 views

UAE rewrote cricket history with their first-ever T20I series win against Bangladesh. Haider Ali's magical 3/7 spell crippled Bangladesh's batting before Sharafu's unbeaten 68* sealed the chase. The hosts bounced back from an opening loss to claim two straight victories. This upset comes just months before Bangladesh's T20 World Cup campaign.

"Sharafu's unbeaten 68* and Asif Khan's 41* broke Bangladesh's backbone in a historic chase" – Sharjah Cricket Report
Sharjah, May 22: The United Arab Emirates changed the course of history by scripting its first-ever T20I bilateral series triumph over Bangladesh after staging a seven-wicket triumph in the final fixture of the series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Key Points

1

UAE chase down 163 to seal maiden T20I series win

2

Haider Ali's 3/7 dismantles Bangladesh top order

3

Sharafu-Asif 87* partnership stuns Tigers

4

Bangladesh collapse after Tanzid Hasan's 40(18) blitz

Alishan Sharafu drilled the ball through covers straight to the boundary rope to finish off UAE's successful pursuit of the 163-run target and stamp its authority with a 2-1 series triumph. The UAE players stormed onto the field with beaming smiles, as Bangladesh fathomed the thought of the massive setback they endured less than a year before the T20 World Cup.

UAE kicked off the series with a 27-run defeat against Bangladesh, but staged a flawless comeback to trounce Bangladesh in back-to-back fixtures. UAE defied the odds in the second T20I and gunned down Bangladesh's 206-run target to restore parity.

In the decisive clash, the UAE put Bangladesh to bat after winning the toss. The Tigers suffered a batting collapse, courtesy of Haider Ali's left-arm spin magic and returned with economical figures of 3/7. He cleaned up Bangladesh's top order and left them threadbare at 49/4.

With a flop show from skipper Litton Das (14), Bangladesh needed a moment of reprieve in Tanzid Hasan's early 40-run blitz from 18 deliveries and Jaker Ali's composed 41(34). Hasan Mahmud applied the finishing touches by smoking three towering maximums in his unbeaten 26 (15) cameo. The combined effort of the troika propelled Bangladesh to 162/9, offering them a lifeline to salvage a result in the series decider.

In reply, skipper Muhammad Waseem (6) returned early, and Muhammad Zohaib (29) followed in his footsteps moments after the powerplay. Sharafu took the brunt of guiding his side to victory on his shoulders and tormented Bangladesh's bowling attack with his sublime art with the bat.

Asif Khan joined him at the other end, as the duo turned Bangladesh's worst nightmare into reality. They raised an unbeaten 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket to break the backbone of Bangladesh's defence.

Asif (41*) clubbed two maximums in the penultimate over to take UAE closer to history. The winning runs came off Sharafu's (68*) bat as UAE relished its newfound success.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Wow! UAE beating Bangladesh is a huge upset! 😲 This shows how much associate nations have improved. Bangladesh really needs to pull up their socks before the World Cup. Their bowling looked toothless in the last two matches.
P
Priya M.
As an Indian cricket fan, I'm happy to see UAE's progress! More competitive teams make cricket more exciting. But Bangladesh's performance is worrying - they were our tough opponents in Asia Cup. Hope they bounce back stronger.
A
Arjun S.
Bangladesh cricket team needs serious introspection. Losing to UAE after being 1-0 up is unacceptable for a full member nation. Their fielding was pathetic throughout the series. Time to blood in some young talent maybe?
S
Sunita R.
Kudos to UAE! 👏 Their batting was fearless. Sharafu's innings was a treat to watch. But I must say, Bangladesh's bowling lacked variety - too many pace bowlers on a slow Sharjah pitch was a tactical blunder.
V
Vikram J.
This result makes our Asia Cup win against Bangladesh look even better! 😄 But seriously, this shows cricket is growing beyond traditional nations. ICC should give more opportunities to teams like UAE.
N
Neha P.
As someone who follows Bangladesh cricket closely, this is heartbreaking. They have so much potential but keep underperforming. The team management needs to take responsibility. On the brighter side, UAE's rise is great for cricket!

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Tags:
UAE vs Bangladesh T20I series Alishan Sharafu Haider Ali Asif Khan Litton Das Sharjah Cricket