Cricket
Tigers bat first in 3rd T20 against Ireland
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first in the third T20I against Ireland in Chattogram Friday.
With two victories already under their belt, Bangladesh will aim for a clean sweep by winning today's match.
Leg-spinner Raishad Ahmed got his T20I cap in this match. The 20-year-old caught the attention of the selectors with his impressive performances in his early days of cricket, including two five-fors in first-class cricket. He replaced Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the playing XI.
Bangladesh made another change by resting Mustafizur Rahman and bringing Shoriful Islam into the playing XI.
Ireland introduced an uncapped spinner, Matthew Humphreys, who replaced Graham Hume.
Bangladesh playing XI
Litton Das (wk), Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam
Ireland playing XI
Paul Stirling (capt), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Fionn Hand, Matthew Humphreys, Ben White
'Attack from the first ball' – new approach of Bangladesh
Bangladesh have continued their dominance over Ireland in limited-overs cricket.
In their latest T20 match in Chattogram Wednesday, Bangladesh beat Ireland by 77 runs. After that, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said they adopted a new approach – "attack from the first ball."
Despite losing the toss on a rainy day, Bangladesh batted aggressively from the start. Litton Das and Rony Talukdar provided a blistering opening stand of 124 runs. Litton's fifty off just 18 balls was the fastest by a Bangladeshi in T20s while Rony played high-octane innings.
"If we want to become a big team, we have to prove our mettle from the first ball," Shakib said after the match. "We just wanted to play as we did in the last few matches."
Asked about Bangladesh's target in this series, Shakib said, "If Australia had won a series with one match to play, they would go on to end it 3-0. We will also do that."
The all-rounder also said that Bangladesh may field some new players in the last match, and "the guys on the bench are eager to prove their prowess."
The third and last match of the T20 series will take place on March 31 at the same venue. After that, the teams will play a Test in Dhaka, starting on April 4.
Shakib takes five as Bangladesh beat Ireland by 77 runs to seal T20 series
Bangladesh beat Ireland by 77 runs in the second T20 Wednesday in Chattogram to win the series with one match to spare.
Put in to bat first, the Tigers Bangladesh scored 202 for three after the match was reduced to 17 overs per side due to rain.
Litton Das and Rony Talukdar scored 124 runs in just 9.2 overs in the first wicket stand. Litton smashed 10 fours and three sixes to score 83 off 41 balls before falling to Ben White in the 12th over.
The wicketkeeper-batter Litton hit fifty off 18 balls, the fastest fifty by a Bangladeshi in T20s. He broke the 20-ball fifty record of Mohammad Ashraful in 2007.
Talukdar, too, played a free-flowing knock of 44 off 23 balls before being caught by Mark Adair off Ben White.
After that, skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy continued to pile on the runs. Shakib struck three fours and three sixes in his unbeaten knock of 38 off 24 balls.
For Ireland, White was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets for 28 runs in his four overs. Adair also managed to pick up a wicket but conceded 52 runs in his four overs.
Read more: Shakib becomes leading wicket-taker in T20s
Chasing 203, Ireland failed to offer any resistance against Bangladesh's quality attack. The in-form Taskin Ahmed picked up the wicket of Ireland captain Paul Stirling off the first ball of the innings.
After Taskin's first wicket, Shakib bagged five wickets in his first three overs and returned the figures of five for 22 in four overs. With this, he became the highest wicket-taker in T20s, surpassing New Zealand's Tim Southee.
Shakib now has 136 wickets in the format in 114 matches while Southee has 134 in 107 matches. After Shakib's bowling spell, Taskin took two more wickets and took three for 27 in four overs.
Curtis Campher hit an unbeaten fifty off 30 balls for Ireland.
Both teams will now compete in the solitary Test in Dhaka, starting on April 4.
Shakib becomes leading wicket-taker in T20s
Bangladesh's T20 captain Shakib Al Hasan has become the highest wicket-taker in T20s, overtaking New Zealand's Tim Southee, who has 134 wickets in the format.
To become the leading wicket-taker in T20s, Shakib played 114 matches.
In the second T20 against Ireland in Chattogram, Shakib took five for 14 in his three overs, his second five-for in T20s and second-best bowling performance in the format. He returned figures of five for 22 in four overs.
Earlier, Bangladesh batted first and posted 202 for three in 17 overs, with the match being reduced to 17 overs per side due to rain.
Ireland got off to a terrible start, losing opener Paul Stirling for a duck off the first ball of the innings bowled by Taskin Ahmed. Shakib then took five wickets in just three overs, starting with Lorcan Tucker and ending with Harry Tector.
Bangladesh set 203-run target for Ireland in second T20I
Tigers have set a 203-run target for visiting Ireland in the second game of three-match T20 international (T20I) series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.
Earlier, Liton Das hit the fastest half-century in Twenty20s for Bangladesh from only 18 balls and broke the record of Mohammad Ashraful who had hit fifty off 20 balls against West Indies in 2007.
Ireland won the toss and elected to field first.
Liton hits fastest T20 fifty for Bangladesh
Liton Das possessed the record for the fastest half-century in Twenty20s for Bangladesh in his pocket during the second T20 against Ireland at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.
Liton finished his half-century from only 18 balls and broke the record of Mohammad Ashraful who had hit fifty off 20 balls against West Indies in 2007.
Earlier, Ireland won the toss and elected to field first.
Ireland opt to bowl first in 2nd T20I
Ireland has won the toss and elected to field first in the second T20I of the three-match series against Bangladesh on Wednesday in Chattogram.
However, the start of the match may be delayed due to overcast conditions at the ground.
Bangladesh won the first T20I at the same venue under the DL Method as the match was shortened due to bad weather. A win in this match will secure the series for the Tigers.
Bangladesh has made no changes to their playing XI, as confirmed by captain Shakib Al Hasan during the toss.
Prior to the T20I series, the teams competed in a three-match ODI series, which Bangladesh won 2-0, with one match ending in no result due to rain in Sylhet.
Playing XI:
Bangladesh: Litton Das (wk), Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman
Ireland: Paul Stirling (capt), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Ben White
Preview of BAN vs IRE 2nd T20I 2023: Bangladesh Eye to Win Series
After winning the one-day series by 2-0 against Ireland, Bangladesh also started the T20 series with a win. Shakib Al Hasan's team won by 22 runs in the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-affected Monday match. Now both teams are ready for the second encounter on March 29 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. 2023 BAN vs IRE 2nd T20 will start at 2 PM.
BAN vs IRE 2nd T20I 2023: Match Preview
Ireland could not fight well in the ODI series. And it is assumed that we will also see the same outcome in the T20 series. Bangladesh may whitewash the Irish by playing organized cricket. The first match’s result also indicates the same.
The Irish were defeated by 22 runs in the first T20 of the series on Monday by the DLS method. After losing the toss and batting first, Bangladesh scored 207 runs for 5 wickets in 19.2 overs. Then the game was stopped due to rain. After more than two hours, Ireland got a changed target of 104 runs in 8 overs. But they lost 5 wickets and could not score more than 81 runs.
Read More: Rain washes out 2nd ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka
Bangladesh's two openers, Litton Das and Rony Talukdar, started in an aggressive mood. Their first wicket score was 91 runs in 7.1 overs. Litton scored 47 runs off 23 balls and hit 4 boundaries and 3 sixes. Rony scored 67 runs off 38 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes.
Najmul Hossain Shanto (14 off 13 balls), who came down to bat at number three, did not hit a good score. Shamim Hossain, who came down at number four, scored 30 runs off 20 balls with 2 fours and 1 six. Captain Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz remained unbeaten in the end. Shakib scored 20 runs off 13 balls with 3 fours.
On the other hand, Ireland’s equation was simplified with the Duckworth-Lewis method. The Irish started aggressively chasing runs.
Read More: Dhaka League: Mohammedan's losing streak continue
The Bangladeshi pacers proved too strong for Ireland, with Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud delivering excellent bowling. Taskin's career-best performance helped Bangladesh secure an impressive victory in a rain-affected match. Taskin Ahmed took 4 wickets with only 16 runs with the ball, which is his career’s best bowling in T20. His previous record was 4 wickets for 25 runs. Hasan Mahmud took the remaining wicket.
However, Ireland got a good batting condition due to rain, but they failed. Hopefully, they will try to come back to the series in the second match. Bangladesh, on the other hand, should be in a cheerful mood as they are one victory away from winning the series.
Pitch Report and Weather
The pitch in Chittagong for the first game of the series was an outstanding one, and it is expected to stay the same for the second match on Wednesday. Batsmen should have no trouble getting the ball off the square. According to the weather forecast, it looks like a pleasant day for the players and fans, with no chance of rain and temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are expected to be in the 60s.
Read More: Bangladesh vs Ireland: Taskin takes four as Tigers win rain-hit T20 opener
Probable XIs in the 2023 Bangladesh vs Ireland 2nd T20I
Probable Bangladesh Squad
Litton Das (wk), Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud.
Probable Ireland Squad
Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Craig Young, Graham Hume, Benjamin White.
Changes in the Team
There are no changes for the Bangladesh team, and it is expected that the tigers will start the match with the same squad. However, the day before the start of the T20 series, there has been a change in the Irish camp. Regular captain Andrew Balbirnie has been rested. Paul Stirling will lead the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh starting. Lorcan Tucker will serve as a vice caption. Leadership is nothing new for Sterling. After becoming vice-captain in 2019, he has captained six T20Is for Ireland so far.
Read More: Bangladesh’s ODI Series Win Against Ireland: Records, best performances, milestones achieved
Key Players to Watch in BAN vs IRE 2nd T20I
Bangladeshi Players to Watch
Rony Talukdar will be on the watch list due to his incredible innings. He got his first fifty in his international career in the first T20 match of the series against Ireland at Zahoor Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Monday. Rony returned to the dressing room with explosive innings of 67 runs off 38 balls. His aggressive batting style helped Bangladesh score 81 runs without a wicket in 6 overs, which is the Bangladesh team's powerplay record.
In the bowling section, Taskin Ahmed has been very consistent, and his pace action certainly helped Bangladesh to stop Ireland. Coming in the fourth over of the innings, this pacer took 3 wickets and put Bangladesh in a strong position in the match. Taskin bowled two batters, including skipper Starling and one got caught out. So, the Irish will surely play Taskin’s ball carefully in the next game.
Irish Players to Watch
The Irish got off to a great start in the first match, and Paul Stirling started it. Stirling face the first ball of the innings and hit Nasum Ahmed down the ground a four. Again, he swept two more fours in this over. He scored 17 runs from 8 balls. This aggressive batter can be a headache for Bangladesh.
Read More: Analysis of Bangladesh T20 Squad Against Ireland
Craig Young was the only blower to take 2 wickets in the first match. So, he might put more effort into the second match. Overall, he has 57 T20 wickets in 54 matches.
Final Words
The Irish are far behind Bangladesh in terms of strength. That gap is expected to increase further at Chittagong in the second BAN vs IRE T20I. However, this Bangladesh had no plan of winning by making a spin stage in Mirpur, as the series is being played at Chittagong's batting support wicket. And we have seen 200+ scores in the last match. So, if Bangladesh bats first in the next match, we may see another big score.
Rain washes out 2nd ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka
The second one-day cricket international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was abandoned Tuesday because of rain.
Heavy rain fell throughout the day and by the scheduled start of 2 p.m. local time, the covers were on and large pools of water already had formed in the outfield.
Umpires made the decision to abandon the match after a ground inspection at 4:25 p.m. local time. The latest a match could start was 7:02 p.m. but it already was clear that with rain still falling a large puddles in some parts of Hagley Oval, no play would be possible.
New Zealand leads the three-match series after winning the first match at Eden Park on Saturday by 198 runs.
The third match is at Hamilton’s Seddon Park on Friday.
Dhaka League: Mohammedan's losing streak continue
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Legends of Rupganj, and Gazi Group Cricketers won their matches in the latest round of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League Monday.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza of Rupganj was the standout performer of the day, recording a five-wicket haul against Mohammedan Sporting Club while conceding only 17 runs in 8.4 overs. It was Mashrafe's seventh five-wicket haul in List-A cricket. And with this, he reached the milestone of 450 wickets in the format.
Mohammedan, who got off to their worst start of the season, batted first and were bowled out for 80 runs in 41.5 overs. Soumya Sarkar top-scored 41 off 26 balls.
In response, Rupganj chased down the target of 81 in 8.2 overs, with Munim Shahriar scoring 30 and Parvez Hossain Emon posting 44.
In another match at the BKSP, Sheikh Jamal beat Shinepukur Cricket Club by 55 runs, with Fazle Mahmud Rabbi scoring 91.
Sheikh Jamal batted first and scored 196-9. For Shinepukur, Mehedi Hasan Rana was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 31. Farhad Reza and Hasan Murad took two wickets each.
In reply, Shinepukur were bowled out for 141 in 41.5 overs. Ebadot Hossain, Arif Ahmed, Parvez Rasool, and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury took two wickets each for Sheikh Jamal.
In the other match of the day in Fatullah, Indian batter Ravi Teja scored a hundred and guided his team Gazi Group to a five-wicket win over Prime Bank Cricket Club.
Prime Bank batted first and scored 204 in 46.4 overs, with Mushfiqur Rahim scoring 74 and Yasir Ali scoring 48. Nihaduzzaman took three wickets for Gazi Group.
In response, Gazi Group chased the target of 209 in 39.2 overs with five wickets to spare, despite losing the first wicket off the first ball of the innings as Mehedi Maruf fell prey to Taijul Islam.
Taijul also took the wicket of Ravi, but only after he scored 101 off 92 balls.