T20I
Tigers record maiden T20I series win vs New Zealand
Bangladesh beat New Zealand by six wickets in the fourth match on Wednesday clinching their first T20I series sweep against the Kiwis at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Tigers scripted their historic win with one match to play in the five-match series. It came not long after Bangladesh stunned Australia by wrapping for the first time a five-match T20I series against them 4-1 at the same stadium.
Bangladesh won the first match of the series by seven wickets, the second match by four runs, but they lost the third by 52 runs. They came back strongly in the fourth match, making their third win in the series.
It was Bangladesh’s first T20I series win against the Blackcaps. Before this series, Bangladesh took on the Kiwis in 10 matches but failed to win any of them.
On Wednesday New Zealand won the toss and posted only 93 while batting first. In reply, Bangladesh chased down the target of 94 in 19.1 overs with six wickets in hand.
Mahmudullah Riyad, the T20I captain and Afif Hossain remained unbeaten for 43 and 6 respectively.
Read: New Zealand opt to bat first in 4th T20I vs Bangladesh
Bangladesh lost the first wickets in the third over, and subsequently, they lost two more wickets in quick succession. Liton Das (6), Shakib Al Hasan (8) and Mushfiqu Rahim (0) failed to shine with the bat.
BAN vs. NZ 2021: Fourth Match Preview
Bangladesh and New Zealand will play the fourth match of the five-match Twenty20 International series on Wednesday (September 8). Bangladesh comfortably won the series-opener on a surface that favored the spinners. However, the pitches were better in the previous two matches. New Zealand performed well on those surfaces and won the third one. The curator is set to make a similar pitch for the fourth encounter. Bangladesh's players will have to give it their best performance to win this T20I series against New Zealand. The fourth match preview of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 T20I series has been discussed in this article.
Read: Mushfiqur opts to quit wicket-keeping in T20Is: Domingo
Bangladesh’s Team News
Bangladesh openers comparatively have performed well in the series. Naim-Liton pair did manage to form a 50-plus partnership in the second match, which helped Bangladesh to put up a fighting score to defend. Skipper Mahmudullah Riyad played his part in the first two matches, while Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan both flopped in the previous match.
Senior players, as well as the middle order, must perform their roles properly if Bangladesh want to put pressure on New Zealand's bowling unit.
Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed are having a good series. They have made excellent use of the conditions and have consistently taken wickets for Bangladesh.
Read:New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
Shakib Al Hasan and Musafizur Rahman have contributed their part with the ball. Mustafizur Rahman has reached 200 T20 wickets, while Shakib Al Hasan is only two wickets away from being the T20I's leading wicket-taker.
Middle-order batsman Afif Hossain has struggled in this series. It's possible that Mosaddek Hossain/Soumya Sarkar will take his place in the fourth match. Apart from that, no more changes to the playing XI are anticipated.
Predicted XI (Bangladesh Team)
Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Afif Hossain/Mosaddek Hossain/Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed
New Zealand’s Team News
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham has been a revelation in this series after making his T20 return. He has played a couple of praiseworthy innings in this series. Aside from him, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, and the top order all batted well in the previous encounter. They will have to do a better job in the next game.
Read:Bangladesh require 129 to wrap up series vs New Zealand
New Zealand spinners have outperformed Bangladesh spinners in the series. Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, and Cole McConchie have caused a lot of difficulties to Bangladesh batters. Bangladesh batsmen need to be cautious and sensible against them. New Zealand could stick with the same playing lineup as in the third game.
Predicted XI (New Zealand Team)
Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Tom Latham (captain & wicket-keeper), Colin de Grandhomme, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Cole McConchie, Doug Bracewell, Ajaz Patel, Hamish Bennett, Matt Henry
Pitch and Weather Report
The surface of the fourth match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 T20I series will benefit slower bowlers. However, batters who spend time in the middle can find a way to score. The weather in Dhaka will most likely be partly overcast in the afternoon on Wednesday (September 8), but there is no chance of rain. The New Zealand team has already acclimated to the conditions and they are poised to cause another upset against the host team.
Read: New Zealand opt to bat first against Bangladesh in 3rd T20I
Bottom Line
New Zealand will try heart and soul to level the series after a great effort in the do-or-die third match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. The Blackcaps will go all out to beat the tigers in the fourth match to stay remain in the series. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will have a great chance to win a bilateral T20I series for the first time against New Zealand. They can win the series against the Kiwis with one game in hand if the players are able to keep their composure during the contest. Overall, cricket fans anticipate an exciting encounter between Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Mushfiqur opts to quit wicket-keeping in T20Is: Domingo
Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo has said that Mushfqiur Rahim is no longer interested in keeping the wickets in T20Is.
As per the initial plan of the Bangladesh team, Mushfiqur was set to keep the wickets in the third and fourth T20Is in the ongoing series against New Zealand.
But spectators were surprised to see Nurul Hasan keeping the wicket in the third match instead of Mushfiqur.
“There has been a change. Initially, after speaking to Mushy, he was going to keep after the second game. But he told me he probably doesn’t want to keep wickets in T20s anymore, so we have to move on,” Domingo said on Sunday after the third match that Bangladesh lost by 52 runs.
“I don’t think Mushfiq’s desire to stand behind the wickets in this format is great anymore. We have to focus on Sohan, and possibly let him do those duties going into the competition,” the Bangladesh head coach added.
Read: New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
Mushfiqur has been under scrutiny for while due to his wicket-keeping lapses over the last few years. He was advised by the coaches to give up the keeping and focus more on his batting.
But Mushfiqur has always been reluctant to leave wicket keeping. He instead has been saying that wicket-keeping helps him understand the wicket better and bat well.
Back in 2005, Mushfiqur had been added to the Bangladesh team as a specialist batsman.
But after the retirement of Khaled Mashud the then number one wicketkeeper of Bangladesh, Mushfiqur put on the gloves. He left the wicket-keeping in Tests for a while now. It is Liton Das, who replaced Mushfiuqr as the wicketkeeper in Tests.
As a fielder in the outfield, Mushfiqur has been doing well in the ongoing series. He grabbed four catches in three matches so far.
New Zealand bounce back as Tigers suffer first defeat
New Zealand bounced back strongly beating the hosts Bangladesh by 52 runs on Sunday in the third match of the five-match T20I series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh won the first two matches of the series, and they had a good chance to wrap up the series with two matches to play. But yet another poor batting performance handed the Kiwis a big victory and stay alive in the series.
New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted a challenging total of 128 on the tricky Dhaka surface thanks to the 66-run stand in the sixth wicket by Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell.
In reply, the hosts tumbled for 76, their second-lowest in the format, and lost the match by 52 runs.
Bangladesh never looked to dominate the Kiwis as they did in the first two matches. The hosts lost the first four wickets inside the power play. Openers, Mohammad Naim and Liton Das, returned to the dressing room in a span of one run.
Liton smashed three fours and hinted that he would enjoy batting, but he failed to continue and fell for 15. He perished to Cole McConchie. In the very next over, Naim was removed by Rachin Ravindra.
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
Mahedi Hasan, who got a chance to bat up of the order, failed to justify the decision as he only scored one run, and right after him, Shakib Al Hasan was out for a duck. Both Mahedi and Shakib were hunted by Ajaz Patel.
The onus was on Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan to keep the Tigers in the match. While Mushfiqur was firm at one end of the wicket, Mahmudullah, Afif and Sohan fell in quick succession.
Eventually, Bangladesh tumbled for 76 all out in 20 overs with Mushfiqur remained unbeaten for 20 off 37 balls.
For New Zealand, Ajaz bagged four wickets while McConchie took three.
Earlier, New Zealand failed to secure a good opening stand once again as they posted 16 on the first wicket. Mustafizur Rahman earned the first breakthrough for the Tigers removing Finn Allen for 15.
Allen was playing his first match in this series. He was tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the series. He has recently returned negative in two Covid-19 tests and joined the New Zealand team.
Also read: Tigers eye to seal series against Kiwis on Sunday
For Bangladesh, Mohammad Saifuddin bagged two wickets conceding 28 runs in four overs while Mahedi Hasan, Mustafiz, and Mahmudullah Riyad took one wicket each.
It was the 100th T20I for Mahmudullah. He became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to have played 100 T20Is.
The hosts fielded an unchanged playing XI, while the visitors made three changes.
They overlooked Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears and Doug Bracewell to pave the way for Finn Allen, Scott Kuggeleijn, Jacob Duffy.
The remaining matches of the series will take place on September 8 and 10 at the same venue. Bangladesh need to win any of those matches to seal the series while the Blackcaps need to win both for the same.
New Zealand opt to bat first against Bangladesh in 3rd T20I
New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bat first in the third T20I of the five-match series against Bangladesh on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh won the first two matches of the series. So the third match came as a big chance for them to wrap up the series with two matches to play on September 8 and 10 at the same venue.
The hosts fielded an unchanged playing XI, while the visitors made three changes.
Also read: Tigers eye to seal series against Kiwis on Sunday
They overlooked Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears and Doug Bracewell to pave the way for Finn Allen, Scott Kuggeleijn, Jacob Duffy.
Bangladesh XI: Liton Das, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riayad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
New Zealand (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Tom Latham(w/c), Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ajaz Patel, Jacob Duffy.
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
BAN vs. NZ Series 2021: Mahmudullah Becomes Bangladesh’s Most Successful T20I Captain
Bangladesh met Zimbabwe in their maiden Twenty20 International match on November 28, 2006, at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna. Bangladesh's inaugural T20I match was captained by Shahriar Nafees, and it was the only cricket format in which Bangladesh won their first match. Bangladesh have played 109 T20I matches since then, winning 40 and losing 67 of them. Bangladesh have had seven T20I captains so far, with Mahmudullah Riyad leading the way with 12 victories. How Mahmudullah Riyad becomes Bangladesh's most successful T20I captain in the ongoing 5-match bilateral BAN vs. NZ 2021 series is discussed in this article.
Bangladesh National Cricket Team's T20I Captaincy Record
Left-arm opener Shahriar Nafees led Bangladesh to victory in their maiden T20I match against Zimbabwe in 2006. Interestingly, he did not captain Bangladesh for the second time. Opener Liton Das has also captained Bangladesh for a single match.
Mahmudullah Riyad became the most successful T20I captain in history after winning the series opener against New Zealand on Wednesday (September 1). Mahmudullah Riyad has won 12 of his 24 matches as captain, giving him the highest winning percentage.
Read: Bangladesh-New Zealand T20 series: PM greets Tigers for going 2-0 up
Surprisingly, 9 of his 12 victories have come in the last 10 matches, which is an incredible number. It indicates that Mahmudullah has improved as a skipper and he has performed very well in the recent T20I series.
Seven players have captained Bangladesh in the Twenty20 format. Mashrafe Mortaza has led Bangladesh the most times (28), followed by Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mohammad Ashraful.
Bangladesh have been winning consistently since Mushfiqur Rahim took over as captain of the national team in 2011. Bangladesh have won eight games and lost fourteen under his leadership. Mushfiqur Rahim is Bangladesh's third-best captain in terms of victories and without a doubt one of the finest captains in the country's history.
Also read: Tigers do enough to see off Latham's Black Caps in 2nd T20I
Mohammad Ashraful was the captain of Bangladesh's T20 team from 2007 to 2009. Bangladesh only won two games out of 11 when he was captain.
Bangladesh won the fourth-most T20I matches (7) under Shakib Al Hasan's leadership. Shakib captained Bangladesh in 21 games, winning 33.33 percent of the time. When Shakib was in charge, though, Bangladesh lost 14 games.
From 2014 to 2017, Mashrafe Mortaza captained Bangladesh in the most number of matches. The Bangladesh national cricket team improved tremendously under his leadership. Bangladesh won ten games when he was captain. Mashrafe also suffered the most losses (17) while captaining the Bangladesh national team.
Read Afghanistan U-19 team's tour of Bangladesh on: BCB
Twenty20 International Captaincy Record for Bangladesh
Player
Match
Won
Loss
%
Mashrafe Mortaza
28
10
17
37.03%
Mahmudullah Riyad
24
12
12
50%
Mushfiqur Rahim
23
08
14
36.36%
Shakib Al Hasan
21
07
14
33.33%
Mohammad Ashraful
11
02
09
18.18%
Liton Das
01
0
0
0.00
Shahriar Nafees
01
01
0
100%
Read ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Five Potential Replacements of Tamim Iqbal
BAN vs. NZ T20 Series: As It Stands
Mahmudullah Riyad became Bangladesh cricket's most successful T20I skipper after winning the low-scoring opening match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. He extended his lead by winning the second match on Friday, (September 3).
Bangladesh will seal the series with two games left if they win the third match. Therefore, the third match is crucial for New Zealand to stay firm in the series.
There was heavy criticism regarding the slow pitch that took place in the opening match. New Zealand only scored 60 runs, and Bangladesh had to play 15 overs to reach the target. Following the first match, BCB’s Operations Committee Akram Khan told the media that they will prepare a better wicket for the second match to ensure a run-fest.
Read BAN vs. NZ 2021: Bangladesh Clinch Their First T20I Win Against New Zealand
Thankfully, the curator did a good job, putting up a better pitch for the second encounter. Batting first, Bangladesh made 141 runs in the second match and successfully defended the total. Bangladesh won the match by four runs in a closely contested encounter. We can anticipate New Zealand to play even better cricket on a more competitive surface in the third match.
Verdict
The team has improved under Mahmudullah Riyad's leadership after analyzing Bangladesh's T20I captains' performances. Mahmudullah has a genuine chance to improve his statistics as a skipper in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. Bangladesh are presently leading the series 2-0, with three more matches to be played. Bangladesh's main goal would be to win the series and then try to sweep New Zealand.
Mahmudullah's captaincy record will significantly improve if Bangladesh win the remaining matches in the BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. Bangladesh's players will gain confidence as a result of the series win ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in October.
Read Shakib admits pitch even 'tougher' than Australia series
Bangladesh-New Zealand T20 series: PM greets Tigers for going 2-0 up
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Friday congratulated the Tigers for their second consecutive win against touring New Zealand in the five-match T20 series.
Bangladesh beat New Zealand by 4 runs in the low-scoring second T20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium to go 2-0 up in the series.
Read: PM greets Tigers for first ever T20 win against New Zealand
Chasing 142 runs, the Kiwis needed six off the last ball but managed just a single as the Tigers continued their winning streak – sixth in seven games.
Bangladesh post 141 in 2nd T20I vs New Zealand
In the second match of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Bangladesh posted 141 for six in 20 overs.
Mohammad Naim scored the highest, 39, for the Tigers while Mahmudullah Riyad remained unbeaten scoring 37.
Bangladesh made a good start as Liton Das and Mohammad Naim put up a 59-run stand at the opening. Their stay was a clear indication of a better wicket in Mirpur.
Read: BAN vs. NZ 2021: Bangladesh Clinch Their First T20I Win Against Newzeland
But Bangladesh’s progress stumbled when Liton fell prey to Rachin Ravindra, and off the next ball, Mushfiqur Rahim was stumped by a great effort of New Zealand captain Tom Latham.
Shakib Al Hasan also failed to continue on a good run. He fell prey to Cole McConchie scoring 12 of seven balls with two fours. It looked an easy catch for the debutant Ben Sears, but he missed it at the first chance. He managed to get it at the second chance after the ball bounced on his leg.
After Shakib’s dismissal, Afif Hossain also returned to the dressing quickly. He managed to score only three in three balls.
Mahmudullah was firm at the other end of the wicket and remained unbeaten for 37 off 32 balls with five fours. He was accompanied by Nurul Hasan Sohan at the sixth wicket stand when Bangladesh added 32 off 22 balls. Before getting dismissed off the last ball of the innings, Sohan scored 13 off nine balls.
Read:Bangladesh overpower New Zealand on tricky surface
For New Zealand, spinner Rachin Ravindra bagged three wickets conceding 22 runs while Ajaz Patel, Cole McConchie and Hamish Bennett took one wicket each.
Bangladesh opt to bat first in 2nd T20I vs NZ
Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first in the second T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand on Friday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh fielded an unchanged playing XI in this match, while New Zeland made two changes, removing Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy to pave way for Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears. While it’s the 10th T20I of Hamish, Sears is set to get his maiden T20I cap.
Read:BAN vs. NZ 2021: Bangladesh Clinch Their First T20I Win Against New Zealand
Sears has played 12 T20s at the domestic level and bagged 15 wickets with the best of taking four wickets conceding 16 runs.
In the first match, the hosts won by a big margin of seven wickets which was Bangladesh’s maiden victory against New Zealand in the shorter format of the game.
Shakib Al Hasan was awarded the player of the match for his two-wicket haul and 25 runs with the bat.
Mustafizur Rahman bagged three wickets for the Tigers— best by any bowler in the match. Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan were also tremendous with the ball.
For New Zealand, captain Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls scored 18 each but that was not enough for them to post a challenging total.
Read:Bangladesh overpower New Zealand on tricky surface
Bangladesh XI: Liton Das, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riayad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
New Zealand XI: Rachin Ravindra, Tom Blundell, Will Young, Colen de Grandhomme, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Cole McConchie, Doug Bracewell, Ajaz Patel, Hamish Bennett, Ben Sears
BAN vs. NZ 2021: Bangladesh Clinch Their First T20I Win Against New Zealand
Bangladesh take a 1-0 lead in the BAN vs. NZ 2021 T20I series after defeating New Zealand by 7 wickets in the first match. Bangladesh will have a chance to extend their series lead if they win the second match on Friday (September 3). Bangladesh will be favorites in the next match if they can maintain their present form at home, but New Zealand will attempt to tie the series. Bangladesh's bowlers did an outstanding job in the first match, allowing the host to win easily. This article covers the opening match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 Twenty20 International series.
BAN vs. NZ 2021: The First T20I Match Report
The weather was nice in Dhaka, ideal for a T20 contest. The New Zealand batsmen appeared to be battling with the pitch conditions throughout the game. They are not used to playing on such a spin surface, especially in T20 cricket.
Read: BAN vs. NZ 2021: Milestones Bangladesh Cricketers Can Achieve in the T20I Series
New Zealand made a poor decision by electing to bat first on an unfamiliar pitch. They kept losing wickets from the start of the innings and were finally bowled out for only 60 runs with 19 balls to spare, their lowest total ever in the T20 format. The Sri Lanka team similarly bowled New Zealand out for 60 runs in the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. The match took place at Chattogram.
Bangladesh’s Chase
Bangladesh's campaign was optimistic that they would be able to comfortably chase down the target after a stellar fielding effort. The New Zealand spinners, though, took two wickets quickly while defending the low total, making the Bangladesh camp panic. Mohammad Naim tried to find a gap in the cover region, but all he discovered was Henry Nicholls in the short cover.
Bangladesh found themselves in a tough position all of a sudden, and they were 7/2 at the time. Later, Bangladesh were able to turn the game around thanks to a 30-run partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Read Shakib admits pitch even 'tougher' than Australia series
The Shakib-Mushfiqur partnership took the total to 37 before newcomer Rachin Ravindra removed Shakib (25) with a length ball in the 10th over. Bangladesh didn't lose any wicket after that, and they comfortably reached the target in the last delivery of the 15th over. Mushfiqur Rahim (16) hit the winning shot in the deep midwicket area with his trademark pull shot. Captain Mahmudullah Riyad was undefeated for 14* runs.
New Zealand Innings
Mahmudullah Riyad handed the ball over to off-spinner Mahadi Hasan in search of an early breakthrough. He did not disappoint and Rachin Ravindra was out in the third ball of the innings.
Mahmudullah's strategy of using multiple spinners in the power play to unsettle the batsmen paid off well. He employed Mahadi, Shakib, Nasum, and Mustafizur in the power play and took four important wickets in the first four overs.
Read: BAN vs. NZ: Bangladesh's Three Memorable Victories Against New Zealand
Captain Tom Latham (18) and Henry Nicholls (18) tried to rebuild the innings with a 34-run stand for the fifth wicket, but it only lasted until the 11th over. New Zealand would have scored more than 100 runs in their innings if they had stayed at the crease till the end. Bangladesh would have struggled to chase 100 runs on such a pitch.
Mohammad Saifuddin broke this partnership, but all credit goes to Nasum Ahmed, who took a superb catch in the deep square leg region.
New Zealand were 43/5 at that stage, and they were on the verge of scoring their lowest ever T20I total. That fear came true as they were bowled out for 60 in 16.5 overs. The left-arm pacer, Mustafizur Rahman did what he does best. He took three wickets in the death overs. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, and Mohammad Saifuddin each took two wickets.
Read BCB announces new central contracts
Player of the Match
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was named Player of the Match for his excellent bowling and batting performance. Shakib's bowling figure in the match was 4-0-10-2, in addition to his 25 runs.
Bottom Line
A turning pitch aided Bangladesh spinners in choking out New Zealand batsmen in the opening of a five-match BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. Mustafizur Rahman was the only pacer in the playing XI for the host, and the strategy worked perfectly. Bangladesh's management is expected to use three spinners as well in the second encounter. However, New Zealand have more spinning choices than Australia, and they might cause Bangladesh batsmen more trouble than Australia did in the previous series. So, a spin-friendly pitch may not ensure Bangladesh's victory in every match in the series. The second encounter is likely to be much more exciting.
Read Bangladesh overpower New Zealand on tricky surface