Lahore, May 28 – Pakistan opened their T20I series against Bangladesh with a convincing 37-run win, thanks to a fiery five-wicket haul from Hasan Ali at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Set 166 to win, Bangladesh never found their footing. Hasan struck twice in his first two overs, removing Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar. Bangladesh slipped early and never recovered. Litton Das fought back with 35, and Afif Hossain added 28, but wickets kept falling. Hasan returned at the death to clean up the tail, finishing with 5 for 30 — his best in the format.
Earlier, Pakistan posted 165 for 7. Rizwan played the anchor with 45, while Fakhar Zaman chipped in with a brisk 38. Babar Azam looked fluent during his 29, but a slow middle phase kept Pakistan in check. Shadab Khan’s late burst — 28 off just 13 — gave the hosts a needed boost in the final overs.
Bangladesh’s bowlers, especially Shakib and Mustafizur, bowled well in patches but struggled at the back end.
The batters for the visitors seemingly all collapsed when it came time to do the hitting with their bats. Pakistan’s bowling group did a great job of applying pressure from both ends. Naseem Shah was very sharp and Imad Wasim and Shadab had their heads down and kept Shimron Hetmyer and the other Bangladesh batters under pressure. In 18.5 overs, Bangladesh were bowled out for a paltry 128 after Shah claimed his 4th wicket.
Hasan was announced as Player of the Match. “It wasn’t easy getting back to my best form, but I worked hard and I felt good tonight. The rhythm was right, and I stuck to my plans,” he said.
Babar Azam praised the team’s overall performance. “We thought we were slightly short with the bat, but the bowlers were outstanding, especially Hasan.”
Litton Das admitted his side didn’t execute. “Too many early wickets, and we never caught up. We’ll look to bounce back next game.”
Pakistan now lead the three-match series 1–0. The second game is set for May 30, again in Lahore.
