Bangladesh registered an impressive win over Hong Kong to start their campaign on a high. Bangladesh dished out a professional display in all facets of the game with a 7-wicket win over Hong Kong with 14 balls to spare. Hong Kong lose their second game in as many matches but they gave a better account of themselves tonight. Winning the toss and deciding to field first, Bangladesh restricted Hong Kong to 143/7 with Nizakat Khan top scoring with 42, Zeeshan Ali made 30 and Yasim Murtaza made 28 while Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, and Rishad Hossain picked up 2 wickets apiece.
In reply, Bangladesh rode on another half-century from Litton Das as his 59 off 39 balls guided the chase alongside Towhid Hridoy’s 35 off 36 balls after the openers got out relatively early. Das fell towards the end, but Hridoy made sure they got the win without much hiccups while Hong Kong have lost both their games and have one remaining against Sri Lanka.
All-round bowling effort restricts Hong Kong to 143/7 in 20 overs
Put into bat first, Zeeshan Ali and Anshuman Rath came out to bat for Hong Kong while Mahedi Hasan had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Mahedi bowled a miserly over even as Zeeshan survived a LBW scare thanks to Umpire’s call. Taskin Ahmed came into the attack from the other end and started with a no ball and the free hit by Anshuman was hit for a boundary. But Taskin dismissed Anshuman for 4 off 5 balls with a boundary to his name thanks to a successful DRS by the fielding team.
Taskin bowled a fuller delivery around the off-stump straightens a bit after pitching, Anshuman went for a drive down the ground and got a faint outside edge to the keeper. Litton dived forward and grabbed it cleanly and went for the appeal as the umpire was unmoved. The DRS was called in and the decision was overturned to OUT. Babar Hayat came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Taskin gifted 5 wides to the batting side.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib came into the attack next and bowled a tidy over even though Zeeshan survived a run out call as the direct hit missed the stumps. Taskin bowled a miserly over even though Zeeshan did not slide the bat and a short run was signalled. Hayat then launched Sakib and deposited him straight over mid-on for the maximum. Sakib hit back and got rid of Hayat for 14 off 12 balls with a maximum to his name.
Sakib bowled it full on the stumps and got it to shape away, Hayat came down the track and looked to push it straight but got squared up. He was in no position to play that one and got beaten all ends up as the ball hits the off-stump. Nizakat Khan came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Mustafizur Rahman came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a tidy over. At the end of powerplay of 6 overs, Hong Kong were 34/2.
Rishad Hossain came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a decent over. Mahedi Hasan returned and also did not give a boundary away. Zeeshan finally broke the shackles as he hit Rishad over extra covers for the maximum as the 50 came up for Hong Kong in 8.2 overs. Zeeshan once again hit a boundary off Rishad through the gap between deep midwicket and deep square leg. Mustafizur Rahman returned as Zeeshan swung away to the leg side through fine leg region for a boundary.
At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase, Hong Kong were 64/2 as Drinks was taken by the players. Mahedi returned after the break as Zeeshan hit him through deep midwicket for a boundary. Sakib returned and got rid of Zeeshan Ali for 30 off 34 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. Tanzim bangs it short once more on the middle stump line, the ball nipped back in as well. Zeeshan made some room moving in the leg side but got cramped. He mistimed the pull getting the top edge in the mid-on region. Mustafizur calls from midwicket and ran 20 yards towards the edge of the circle at mid-on and dived to catch the wobbling ball. Captain Yasim Murtaza came out to bat next.
Murtaza thumped Rishad for a boundary straight down the ground while he got a life next ball as Rishad dropped him off his own bowling. Murtaza then took on Sakib and deposited over square leg region for the maximum. Murtaza then launched Mahedi down the ground over long-on for the maximum. The 100 came up for Hong Kong in 14.5 overs. After 15 overs, Hong Kong were well-placed at 101/3.
Mustafizur bowled a tight 16th over. Nizakat Khan sliced Taskin away through the slips and third man fence. Murtaza joined in the fun hitting a boundary through front of square by pulling the ball. Soon, the captain was run out due to a mix up in the middle as Murtaza made 28 off 19 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Aizaz Khan came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Nizakat managed to hit a boundary over short third man for a boundary.
Nizakat launched Rishad over long-off straight as an arrow for the maximum. Rishad then got rid of Nizakat for 42 off 40 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. Rishad bowled a flighted length ball on the off-stump line. Nizakat stepped down the track but failed to get to the pitch of the ball and mistimed it off the bottom of the bat high in the air and found the running Tanzim at long-on taking a good catch. He ran to his left and took it easily. Kinchit Shah came and fell first ball for a golden duck.
Good length leg break pitched on the off-stump and turning back in, Shah is down on a knee looking to sweep but missed and got trapped in front of the middle stump. He took the review but 3 reds meant he had to go and review was burnt. Kalhan Marc came out to bat next. Taskin came to bowl the last over and dismissed Aizaz Khan for 5 off 6 balls. He bowled a slower delivery on length and middle stump line. Aizaz failed to get underneath it and swung across the line. He got a top edge and the ball is high in the air. Jaker Ali ran a few paces from deep square leg and took a well-balanced catch. Ehsan Khan came to the crease next.
He got off the mark as Taskin bowled a no ball again. The free hit yielded only a single. In the end, Hong Kong ended with 143/7 in 20 overs with Ehsan Khan unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls and KM Challu on 4* off 3 balls. 14 extras gifted by Bangladesh bowlers. Tanzim Hasan Sakib was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh with figures of 2/21 in his 4 overs. Taskin Ahmed chipped in with 2/38 in 4 overs while Rishad Hossain chipped in with 2/31 in 4 overs. Mahedi Hasan gave away 28 runs in 4 overs and Mustafizur Rahman gave away 22 runs in 4 overs. Bangladesh now needed 144 to win the match and start the tournament on a high.
Litton Das 59 guides Bangladesh to an easy 7-wicket win over Hong Kong.
Chasing 144 to win, Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan came out to open the batting for Bangladesh while Ayush Shukla had ball in hand for Hong Kong. Emon made his intentions clear by getting off the mark with a boundary through covers and got a streaky boundary off the next ball. Ateeq Iqbal was given the ball from the other end. Iqbal bowled a quiet over. Emon then launched Shukla over fine leg for the maximum. Shukla provided the breakthrough for his side dismissing Emon for 19 off 14 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name.
Shukla rolled his fingers on this one and bowls an off-cutter outside off-stump fuller in length. Emon looked to heave it into the leg side but was early into the shot and the one hand came off as well as the ball skies up in the air at deep midwicket region. Hayat came underneath it and took the high ball and completed the catch. Captain Litton Das came out to bat next.
Iqbal gave away 4 byes to the batting side. Ehsan Khan came into the attack next and conceded 5 wides to the batting side. Tanzid cut him away square of the wicket for a boundary through backward point region. Iqbal then removed Tanzid Hasan for 14 off 18 balls with one boundary to his name. Iqbal bowled a good length delivery outside off-stump, Tanzid planted his front leg and looked to play the lofted drive over mid-off but mistimed it. He ended up chipping it and it looked like he would clear mid-off but Nizakat had other ideas as he ran back, watched it over his left shoulder and took the excellent catch before tumbling on the floor. Towhid Hridoy came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary past short fine leg.
At the end of the powerplay, Bangladesh were 51/2 in the chase of 6 overs. Captain Yasim Murtaza came into the attack next. Litton caressed him through the covers for a boundary. Murtaza overstepped but the free hit yielded a single. Aizaz Khan came into the attack next. He bowled a tidy over. Murtaza too kept things under check. Aizaz bowled a good over as well as Bangladesh reached 74/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase needing a further 70 to win off 60 balls with 8 wickets in hand as players took the Drinks Break.
Murtaza continued after Drinks and bowled a decent over. Litton survived a close LBW scare as the on-field decision of NOT OUT was upheld as the fielding team lost the review. Kinchit Shah came into the attack next and was greeted by Litton for a boundary via a reverse sweep over backward point. Soon, the 50-run stand came up between the two players and the 100 came up for Bangladesh in 13 overs.
Litton took the attack to Shukla by hitting him for back-to-back boundaries. Das was on a roll now as he hit Ehsan Khan for a boundary as well through extra covers. After 15 overs, Bangladesh were 122/2 and now needed 22 more off 30 balls. Litton played the slog sweep off his opposite number over midwicket for the maximum. Litton got a brace soon and got to his fifty in 33 balls, his 15th T20I fifty. He was tearing Murtaza apart as he slapped him in the gap between cover and backward point for a boundary. Ehsan Khan bowled a tight 17th over.
With 2 needed to win, Litton Das fell for 59 off 39 balls with 6 fours and a maximum to his name. Iqbal bowled from over the wicket a full length delivery pitched outside the off-stump. Litton Das on the front foot looked to smash it down the ground but got an inside edge and dragged the ball back onto the middle stump. Jaker Ali came out to the middle and got a leg bye to get the scores level. Towhid Hridoy hit the winning runs by swiping across to the left of deep square for a single to end the game for Bangladesh. Towhid Hridoy’s 35 off 36 balls consisted just one boundary to his name while Jaker was 0* off 1 ball. 17 extras gifted by Hong Kong as Bangladesh won by 7 wickets with 14 balls to spare.
Ateeq Iqbal got a couple of wickets in his 2/14 in 3.4 overs. Ayush Shukla got a wicket and finished with 1/32 in 3 overs. The rest went wicketless and went for runs as well. So, Bangladesh win this match and for his outstanding half-century and leading from the front, Litton Das was awarded the Player of the Match.
What Lies Ahead
The bandwagon moves back to Dubai for a Group A game as it will be our first look at Pakistan who will take on Oman on 12th September 2025 at 8 PM IST from Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan would like to win and win well to get off the mark ahead of the big clash on Sunday against India. While Oman will look to spring a surprise.
Which way is this game going to go? Only time will tell as we get closer to match action in Dubai. It should be great fun watching the game.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Bangladesh Aims To Get Off To Winning Start Against Bruised Hong Kong