Bangladesh concedes defeat to Afghanistan



M.M. Kaisar, Sports Editor, Barta24.com
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Afghanistan continued their winning streak in T20Is as they won their 12th game in a row in the format – a record - beating hapless Bangladesh by 25 runs in the Tri-Nation T20 Series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, on the back of superb batting by Mohammad Nabi and mesmerizing bowling by Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
 
With this win, Afghanistan secured the top spot in the table at the end of the first round robin league, with every one having played each other once, by winning both of their matches. It would be hard to bet against them not ending the tournament on top at this stage, given the quality cricket they are playing.   

Nabi scored an unbeaten 85 off 54 to propel Afghanistan to 164 for six in their 20 overs, despite losing a wicket off the first ball of their innings and slipping to 4/40 at one stage, after Rashid Khan won the toss for the Afghans and chose to bat first. In reply, Bangladesh fell down for 139 all-out in 19.5 overs as Mujeeb, the teenage leg spinner, outplayed the Tigers in his 4-over spell, finishing with the magnificent figures of 4/15. 

Bangladesh began their chase with Liton Das bewilderingly partnered by Mushfiqur Rahim to open the innings. But Liton fell for just two in the first over bowled by Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Bangladesh lost three more wickets in the Power play, and handed the initiative to Afghanistan, who never let it go from there on.  

Mushfiqur failed to make an impact as he fell for five off three. After suffering a golden duck in the first game, Mushfiqur fell cheaply again, meaning the most reliable batsman of Bangladesh is going through a really bad patch now. 

Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad added 20 runs in the third wicket stand but they failed to continue on a positive manner as Shakib fell for 15, looking spooked by Mujeeb as he struggled to get him away before lofting an easy catch taken by his opposite number at mid-on. Right after that, Soumya Sarkar suffered a golden duck, and Bangladesh was now reeling at 4/32.

Bangladesh’s biggest partnership came in the fifth wicket stand when Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman added 58 runs but that was not enough to avoid a defeat. 

Sabbir fell for 24 and Afif Hossain, who hit a fifty in the last game, scored 16 this time. Eventually, the Tigers tumbled for 139 all-out in 19.5 overs and lost the game after Mustafizur Rahman hit three boundaries in the last over. 

For Afghanistan, Mujeeb bagged four for 15 while Nabi and Rashid Khan bagged two wickets each. Mujib Ur Rahman was adjudged was the man of the match for his 4/15 that destroyed the Bangladesh batting line up.

   

Bangladesh defeats sloppy Zimbabwe



Sports Desk, Barta24.com
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There was a forecast of rain in Chattogram at eight o'clock on Friday night. As predicted, the rain appeared shortly after 8pm. The match started after a short pause. After some time it rained again. Bangladesh won easily in the first T20I of the five-match series against Zimbabwe in two phases of rain. Bangladesh beat Sikandar Raja's team by 8 wickets.

Bangladesh lost Liton Das at the beginning when they came to bat for the target of 125 runs given by Zimbabwe. He got back bowled by Blessing Mujarabani after scoring 1 run from 3 balls. However, the other opener Tanjid Tamim and captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto kept the wheel running by making a pair of 52 runs despite the rain in two phases.

When the game started after rain-interruption in the second round, Tamim and Shanto started playing frantically. Tamim saw a 36-ball fifty after getting life twice due to the failure of the Zimbabwean fielders. After fifty he got one more life. In the end, after winning the team by scoring 67 runs from 47 balls, this batsman, who was anointed in T20 cricket with this match, left the field.

Shanto, however, was not so 'lucky'. The Bangladesh captain returned to the palm of Shaun Williams at deep midwicket off Luke Jongwe for a personal 21 runs. Tawhid Hriday made an important contribution to the team's victory in a 18-ball 33-run innings. Bangladesh reached the target with 28 balls to spare.

Earlier, after losing the toss scored 124 runs in 20 overs facing terrific Taskin – Saifuddin attack. Taskin took 3 wickets for 14 runs, Saifuddin also took 3 wickets with one run more. Spinner Sheikh Mehdi Hasan got two wickets.

Zimbabwe, who lost 7 wickets for 41 runs in a batting collapse, collected a hundred in the eighth wicket in the fighting pair of Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza. The visitors capitalized on their 75-run stand. The highest 43 runs for the team came with the bat of wicketkeeper-batter Madand. 

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"That" Mohsin Sheikh was appointed for full term



Sports Desk, Barta24.com
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Mohsin Sheikh has been appointed as the Performance Analyst of Bangladesh National Cricket Team. This is not the first time the Pakistani-born Australian has worked with Shanto-Litton in the New Zealand series last year.

But that was a part-time job. BCB has appointed him as a performance analyst on a full-time basis. Mohsin was appointed to this post on contract till May 2026.

It is known that Mohsin will join the team soon. Bangladesh's five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe will begin on May 3. He will join the Bangladesh team in the field of that series.

Mohsin Shaikh's experience as a performance analyst is not less. He also spent time with the Afghanistan, Pakistan and Australia cricket boards before working with Bangladesh on the tour of New Zealand last December.

Apart from this, Mohsin has also competed in various T20 leagues around the world. He has vast experience of working as a performance analyst in top leagues like Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Indian Premier League and Australian Big Bash.



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Naogaon’s Dolly joined ICC umpiring



District Correspondent, Barta24.com, Noagaon
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Dolly Rani Sarkar, a girl from Naogaon, has been included as the first female umpire of Bangladesh in the World Cricket Controlling Organization (ICC) ICC umpiring.

Behind reaching this stage of success is an unknown story of a struggling life. Dolly Rani was born in a poor family in Barendra Bhoomi town of Naogaon. She used to play neighborhood cricket with boys since childhood. That's where she started playing cricket. After that she got admission in BKSP. She also got a call to the national team's 20-man camp, but had to stop there and got a job in BKSP, so her cricket career did not progress further. That Dolly Rani Sarkar is now holding the umpiring helm and showing Bangladesh a dream.

Dolly Rani told Barta24.com at Naogaon Stadium, I used to play sports since childhood. I used to play handball, volleyball and athletics in all the sports events in the school and I used to play with all the older brothers of the neighborhood. The beginning is by the hands of the older brothers of my neighborhood. The beginning was very difficult for me unless the Naogaon District Sports Association and the neighborhood elder brothers, younger brothers and neighboring uncles took me to play in the cricket tournaments held in the neighborhood and from there I developed. If they didn't help, I wouldn't have come this far. I also got a call to the national team's 20-man camp, but had to stop there. Later, the job was done in BKSP, the cricket career did not progress further.

She also said, "I am so happy to join the ICC umpiring as the first woman umpire of Bangladesh that I don't know the language to express." I am very happy and glad because it was not expected that I will join ICC umpiring so soon. The cricket board has been working with us for two years. In the last two years, the cricket board has tried to make us suitable by giving matches at different places. We did that. I have been included in ICC umpiring today.

Dolly Rani said, I was a student of BKSP. I have been in umpiring practice since 2009. We started the journey with the girls' first division cricket tournament. Besides, I was the umpire for the boys' matches in BKSP, especially when Soumya, Vijaya were there. Besides, many teams from outside the country used to come to play in BKSP like I used to umpire Sri Lanka - Pakistan matches.

She also said, I was born in Naogaon, grew up in Naogaon, and started playing in Naogaon. Everything is Naogaon-centric. My primary school life was Chak Enayet Govt Primary School, Secondary Naogaon Pyarimohan (PM) Girls High School and for sports I passed SSC from Naogaon Govt Girls High School, HSC from Naogaon Govt College, Completed Graduation from BKSP, Completed Masters from Devendra College,  Manikganj, completed Bped from National University and completed Mp ED from Uttara University. 

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Dhananjaya-Mendis hit century, target of Bangladesh is 511



Sports Desk, Barta24.com
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Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis have become a nightmare for Bangladesh in the ongoing Test series. After a pair of 202 runs in the first innings, a pair of 173 runs in the second innings. Two batsmen scored centuries in both innings. The second innings of the Lankans stopped at 418 runs. And in front of Bangladesh, the target is 511 runs in the Sylhet Test.

The record of winning matches at the top of the target is not far from Bangladesh. West Indies won the highest target of 418 runs in the long history of Test cricket. That victory against Australia in the Antigua Test in 2003 is the record for the highest run chase to date.

Earlier, however, Sri Lanka, who got a lead of 92 runs in the first innings, signaled a quick stop in the second innings. They finished the second day with five wickets for 119 runs. So it was assumed that if the Lankans were crushed on the third day, Bangladesh would be able to keep the target within reach. At the beginning of the third day, that impression was also similar.

But after that everything seems to be random. Mendis came down to accompany Dhananjaya. Then these two took the lead. They reminded me of the first innings. They repeated their first innings once more. The match somehow went wrong from the hands of Bangladesh. After that the situation became such that Bangladesh can at least breathe a sigh of relief if this pair is broken.

Finally the pair broke on 173 runs. Mehedi Miraj sent Dhananjaya back for 108 runs. However, after that, Mendis formed a pair again with Prabath Jayasuriya. They accumulated another 67 runs. It was thought that the Lankans might declare an innings if this pair breaks. However, in another round, Mendis formed a pair with the last batsman of Lankans, Kasun Rajitha. Another 52 runs came from the last wicket pair. At one time it seemed that Mendis could not be stopped until the end. However Srilankans innings ended at 418 runs in the second knock. So Bangladesh will have to score a mammoth 511 in two remaining days. 

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