United News of Bangladesh

Cashing in on a five-wicket haul from fast bowler Nahid Rana and a rapid half-century by Tanzid Hasan, Bangladesh defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the second match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Monday, levelling the three-match ODI series. Chasing a target of 199, the hosts reached the mark in the 36th over. Tanzid anchored the run chase, scoring 76 off 58 balls with 10 boundaries and four sixes. Najmul Hossain Shanto also contributed a half-century to ensure the victory.  The result ties the series at 1-1, establishing the third match on April 23 in Chattogram as a series decider. Earlier, Rana’s high-pace spell dismantled the New Zealand batting lineup, restricting the visitors to 198 all out. Rebounding from a difficult series opener in which he conceded 65 runs, the right-arm pacer claimed his second career ODI five-wicket haul, with every wicket-taking delivery exceeding 140 kmph. After senior bowlers Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed built early pressure, Rana provided the initial breakthrough on his first delivery in the eighth over, trapping Henry Nicholls leg before wicket at 144.7 kmph. In his next over, Rana bowled a 150 km/h bouncer that rushed Will Young into a mistimed defensive shot, resulting in a catch at point. As New Zealand attempted to stabilise through a 66-run partnership between Nick Kelly and Muhammad Abbas, Rana returned in the 28th over to dismiss Abbas with a 146.1 kmph bouncer. He later cleaned up the tail, claiming his final two wickets with deliveries clocked at 144.1 kmph and 141.6 kmph. Rana previously recorded a five-wicket haul against Pakistan at the same venue in March last.

Right-arm pacer Nahid Rana scalped five wickets using pure pace to dismiss New Zealand for 198, setting Bangladesh a 199-run target to level the three-match ODI series in Mirpur on Monday.   Rana’s clinical performance came just 48 hours after a difficult series opener in which he conceded 65 runs. Rebounding as a primary strike bowler, he delivered a barrage of high-velocity deliveries, with all five of his wicket-taking balls exceeding 140 kmph.  After senior bowlers Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed built early pressure, Rana provided the breakthrough with his very first delivery in the eighth over, trapping Henry Nicholls leg before wicket with a 144.7 kmph strike. Mustafizur’s return creates selection dilemma for Tigers In his next over, Rana unleashed a 150 kmph bouncer that rushed Will Young into a mistimed defensive shot, resulting in an easy catch at point. The young pacer returned in the 28th over to serve as a crucial partnership breaker.  As New Zealand sought stability through a 66-run stand between Nick Kelly and Muhammad Abbas, Rana dismissed Abbas with another sharp bouncer peaking at 146.1 kmph. He later returned to clean up the tail, claiming his final two wickets with deliveries clocking 144.1 kmph and 141.6 kmph to ensure the visitors did not cross the 200-run mark.  The performance marks Rana's second five-wicket haul in ODI cricket. He previously dismantled the Pakistan batting lineup in a similar fashion at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in March last.

Kolkata Knight Riders won for the first time this season in the Indian Premier League as Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy led their team to a four-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. Singh scored 53 not out off 34 balls and Roy hit an undefeated 29 off 16 deliveries. They came together with host Kolkata in deep trouble at 85-6 in 13.3 overs and put on 76 runs in 37 balls. The pair hit four sixes between them as Kolkata finished with 161-6 in 19.4 overs, its first win after five defeats and a no-result. Earlier, Rajasthan chose to bat first at Eden Gardens and had overcome its own batting challenges to post 155-9 in 20 overs, buoyed by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 28-ball 46. Varun Chakravarthy took 3-14 in four overs, while pacer Kartik Tyagi claimed 3-22. Kolkata is ninth in the 10-team league with three points. Rajasthan is third with eight points from six games. In the evening game, IPL leader Punjab Kings notched up its second-highest IPL score, beating Lucknow Super Giants by 54 runs at New Chandigarh. Priyansh Arya scored 93 off 37 balls, while Cooper Connolly hit 87 off 46, as Punjab scored 254-7 after losing the toss. Lucknow was restricted to 200-5 in reply. Sooryavanshi impresses again Rajasthan openers Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 81 off 52 balls. The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi once again took center stage, hitting six fours and two sixes, while Jaiswal struck two sixes and four fours in his 39 off 29 balls. Kolkata’s spinners struck back as Chakravarthy had Sooryavanshi caught at deep midwicket, while Sunil Narine (2-26) dismissed Jaiswal at the other end, the duo falling within three overs. Chakravarthy then had Dhruv Jurel stumped for five and bowled skipper Riyan Parag for 12. Narine dismissed Donovan Ferreira (7), with Rajasthan down to 124-5 in 16 overs. Tyagi struck three times in the penultimate over, removing Ravindra Jadeja (9), Shimron Hetmyer (15) and Ravi Bishnoi in the space of five balls. Two ducks Kolkata started very badly. Jofra Archer bowled Tim Seifert for a golden duck, while Nandre Burger dismissed skipper Ajinkya Rahane, whose two-ball duck left his team at 5-2. Bishnoi had in-form Cameron Green stumped for 27, and Ravindra Jadeja made it 52-4 in seven overs when impact player Angkrish Raghuvanshi was out lbw for 10. Rovman Powell scored 23 and Ramandeep Singh got 10 with Kolkata struggling until Singh and Roy came together. Their aim initially appeared to be avoiding an embarrassing score but Rajasthan relaxed and Kolkata took its chance. Singh and Roy added 50 off 27 balls, with 21 runs needed off the last two overs. That became nine runs required in the last over and Singh smacked consecutive fours off the first two balls and then finished off with a six on the penultimate ball. Punjab's fifth win in six games Punjab's innings was powered by near-centuries from Arya and Connolly after Mohammed Shami had dismissed Prabhsimran Singh for a golden duck. The pair put on 182 runs off 80 balls – the third highest stand (for any wicket) for Punjab in IPL history. Arya smashed nine sixes overall – scoring 50 off only 19 balls in his second half-century of the season. At the other end, Connolly hit seven sixes and eight fours overall – he got to 50 off 35 balls. The duo went after every bowler including Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan, hitting five sixes between them off the 13th over bowled by Aiden Markram. Punjab reached 200 in 16.3 overs, but lost both set batters as well as in-form skipper Shreyas Iyer in the process. Arya was caught at long-off, while Connolly was caught at short third man. Iyer fell for just five runs but Marcus Stoinis (29) and Shashank Singh (17) pushed Punjab past 250 for only the second time. It had previously scored 262-2 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024. In reply, Lucknow’s Mitchell Marsh scored 40 off 28 balls, while Ayush Badoni – promoted to opener – got a 21-ball 35. They scored 61 off 36 balls. Marsh and skipper Rishabh Pant (43 off 23) added 48 runs off 31 deliveries for the second wicket. Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh dismissed Marsh and Pant, respectively, as Lucknow reached 128-3 in 12.4 overs. Nicholas Pooran was out for nine, caught off Marco Jansen (2-37), Lucknow lost momentum. Markram was held back to the middle order, and scored a rapid 42 off 22 balls, with Mukul Choudhary 21 not out off 17. Despite Punjab’s poor fielding efforts, Lucknow couldn’t keep up with the asking rate. It was a fourth loss in six matches for eighth-placed Lucknow.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has named four uncapped players in its 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in Bangladesh next month. The selection, announced this week, features left-handed openers Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais, pace-bowling all-rounder Amad Butt, and wicketkeeper-batsman Muhammad Ghazi Ghouri. While Ghouri recently made his One-Day International debut against Bangladesh in March, the other three players have no prior international experience. The selectors rewarded domestic form, particularly from the recent President’s Trophy and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournaments. The 30-year-old Butt earned his maiden call-up following a standout season for PTV in the President's Trophy, where he claimed a tournament-high 32 wickets in seven matches at an average of 19.21. The pace bowler brings significant domestic experience to the squad, having secured more than 200 first-class wickets since his debut in 2015. Fazal, 23, secured his spot after finishing as the leading run-scorer in the President's Trophy. Playing for the State Bank of Pakistan, he compiled 622 runs at an average of 51.83, including two centuries. He is joined by fellow left-handed opener Awais, who transitioned directly from the 2024 Under-19 World Cup to dominate the domestic circuit. Awais led the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy scoring charts in his debut season, amassing 844 runs for Sialkot at an average of 76.72. Across two years of first-class cricket, Awais has accumulated 2,673 runs with 10 centuries. Ghouri, also 23, bolsters the squad's wicketkeeping options following a highly productive domestic season. He earned his Test selection after finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the President's Trophy with 531 runs at an aggressive strike rate of nearly 86. The Pakistan Test squad is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka in early May for the two-match series.  

The return to fitness of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has presented Bangladesh's team management with a difficult selection dilemma ahead of their must-win second ODI against New Zealand. Mustafizur missed the series opener due to knee discomfort, paving the way for left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam to make his first ODI appearance in 16 months. Islam capitalized on the last-minute opportunity, emerging as the team's most effective bowler. However, with Mustafizur now reportedly fit to play, Shoriful’s spot in the starting lineup remains uncertain despite his standout performance. Addressing the intense competition within the pace bowling unit, Islam welcomed the situation as a positive indicator for the national team's depth. "There is no frustration here," Shoriful said. "Those who are playing are doing well, and those outside the squad are also good cricketers. It is a healthy competition." Shoriful added that he is prepared to step aside if the management opts to rotate the squad, noting that fielding the best possible team to secure ranking points for direct World Cup qualification remains the ultimate priority. While the bowling unit's recent successes have frequently been undermined by top-order batting failures, Shoriful refused to criticize his teammates for the team's struggles. "If we lose, the batters feel as bad as we do," Shoriful said, adding that the bowlers could always strive to make things easier for the batting lineup. "Hopefully, in the next match, the batters will do very well, we will support them, and we will win the match collectively."

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the schedules for two upcoming home series on Friday, confirming a two-match Test series against Pakistan in May followed by a six-match white-ball series against Australia in June. The Pakistan squad is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on May 3. The first Test will commence on May 8 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the capital. The teams will then travel to Sylhet for the second Test, which begins on May 16 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Both matches are part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle. Following Pakistan's departure, Australia will arrive on June 5 for three One-Day Internationals and three T20Is.. The ODI series is set to begin on June 9, with the second and third matches scheduled for June 11 and June 14. All ODI fixtures will start at 11 a.m. local time. The T20I leg of the Australian tour will start on June 17, followed by matches on June 19 and June 21, featuring 2 p.m. starts. The board has not yet confirmed the host venues for the Australia series.

Fast bowlers Blair Tickner and Nathan Smith orchestrated a late batting collapse to lead New Zealand to a 26-run victory over Bangladesh in the first ODI on Friday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The victory gives New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Defending what was thought to be a quite modest total of 247/8 after winning the toss and electing to bat first, New Zealand bowled out the hosts for 221 in 48.3 overs. Tickner claimed four wickets for 40 runs in his 10 overs, while Smith secured three for 45, effectively ending Bangladesh's chase by dismissing top-scorer Towhid Hridoy in the penultimate over. Bangladesh encountered immediate trouble in the fourth over of their chase. Smith bowled opener Tanzid Hasan for two and dismissed Najmul Hossain Shanto for a first-ball duck on consecutive deliveries, reducing the hosts to 21 for two. Saif Hassan and wicketkeeper Litton Das stabilized the innings with a 93-run partnership for the third wicket. Saif compiled a steady 57 off 76 balls, including eight boundaries, while Das contributed 46 from 68 deliveries. However, both established batters fell in the middle overs. Saif was caught off the bowling of Will O'Rourke, and Das was bowled by Dean Foxcroft, stalling the home team's momentum. Left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox applied further pressure with an economical spell, conceding just 32 runs in his 10 overs and dismissing Afif Hossain for 27. Hridoy anchored the lower-middle order, striking two fours and two sixes in a 60-ball 55. As the required run rate climbed above 10 runs per over, Tickner systematically dismantled the tail. In the 46th over, he caught and bowled Rishad Hossain and subsequently bowled Shoriful Islam on the next delivery. He followed up by bowling Taskin Ahmed in the 48th over. Smith secured the victory moments later by inducing a catch from Hridoy to deep midwicket. Earlier, New Zealand's innings was anchored by half-centuries from Henry Nicholls and Foxcroft. Following the early departure of Nick Kelly, Nicholls constructed a 68-run innings from 83 balls. He shared a 73-run stand with Will Young, who scored 30, before falling to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. Foxcroft accelerated the scoring rate in the lower-middle order, striking eight boundaries to compile a brisk 59 from 58 balls before Nahid Rana breached his defense. Smith provided crucial late runs with an unbeaten 21 off 22 deliveries. Left-arm fast bowler Shoriful Islam led the Bangladesh bowling attack, delivering two maidens and conceding 27 runs while taking two wickets in 10 overs. Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain also claimed two wickets each, conceding 50 and 44 runs, respectively. Pace sensation Nahid Rana once again worked up a good head of steam, touching the high-140s, but proved expensive, conceding 65 runs off his allotted 10 overs, for just one wicket. 

Bangladesh reached 51 for two after 10 overs in pursuit of a 248-run target against New Zealand, following a brief top-order collapse sparked by fast bowler Nathan Smith. New Zealand posted 247 for eight in their allotted 50 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first, anchored by half-centuries from Henry Nicholls and Dean Foxcroft. In the chase, Bangladesh encountered immediate trouble in the fourth over. Smith bowled opener Tanzid Hasan for two and dismissed Najmul Hossain Shanto for a first-ball duck on consecutive deliveries, leaving the hosts at 21 for two. Saif Hassan, unbeaten on 18, and wicketkeeper Litton Das, not out on 15, navigated Bangladesh through the remainder of the initial overs without further loss. The team requires another 197 runs from 40 overs to secure a victory. Earlier, Nicholls stabilised the New Zealand innings after the early loss of opener Nick Kelly, constructing a measured 68 from 83 deliveries, including nine boundaries. He shared a 73-run partnership with Will Young, who contributed 30, before falling to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the 28th over. Foxcroft accelerated the scoring rate in the lower middle order, striking eight boundaries to compile a brisk 59 from 58 balls. Smith provided late momentum to the innings with an unbeaten 21 off 22 deliveries. The Bangladesh bowling attack utilised a collective effort to restrict the scoring. Left-arm fast bowler Shoriful Islam delivered the most economical spell, conceding 27 runs and claiming two wickets across his 10 overs, which included two maidens. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain also secured two wickets each, conceding 50 and 44 runs, respectively. Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz and fast bowler Nahid Rana claimed one wicket apiece, though Rana proved expensive, yielding 65 runs in his 10 overs.

New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first in the opening match of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh on Friday in Dhaka. Bangladesh brought in Shoriful Islam replacing Mustafizur Rahman, who has been suffering from an injury. This New Zealand squad is somewhat inexperienced compared to Bangladesh. However, the Bangladesh captain and coach both noted they are expecting a tough challenge from the visitors. Bangladesh XI: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das (w), Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam New Zealand XI: Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Nick Kelly, Dean Foxcroft, Tom Latham (c & w), Muhammad Abbas, Josh Clarkson, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will O'Rourke, Jayden Lennox.    

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) introduced a "Captains’ Card" on Thursday, granting former national team leaders lifetime access to all board events and comprehensive medical benefits. BCB ad-hoc committee president Tamim Iqbal distributed the cards during a ceremony at a Dhaka hotel Tamim, who received his own card from former captain Shafiqul Haq Heera, said the initiative was designed to honour the historical leaders of Bangladesh cricket and alleviate the anxiety many face when visiting stadiums post-retirement.  "I am sure all the captains present here have felt a sense of insecurity at some point about whether they would be recognized, stopped, or disrespected if they went to the ground," Tamim said. "This has happened to me as well. The card is meant to remove that hesitation." Cardholders will receive the same medical services from the BCB medical department as active national players. The board will also arrange health insurance for the former captains and provide financial assistance for overseas medical treatment if necessary. The event marked a rare gathering of Bangladesh's cricketing leadership, though several prominent figures were absent. Out of the 26 men and six women who have captained Bangladesh across all formats, only Rumana Ahmed represented the women's team.  Notable absentees included former Awami League lawmakers Naimur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza. Also missing were Faruque Ahmed, Khaled Mashud, and Aminul Islam Bulbul, key figures in the elected board that the National Sports Council dissolved last week to make way for Tamim’s ad-hoc committee.  Tamim said that all former captains were invited, though he noted his attempts to reach his immediate predecessor were unsuccessful.  “I called Bulbul bhai, sent him a message, and then realized I was blocked,” Tamim said. Despite the absences and recent administrative turmoil, Tamim emphasized that the BCB will hold the cards for those who could not attend. “I do not want to talk about politics or what recently happened at the BCB,” Tamim said. “Your contribution to Bangladesh cricket is immense. Whenever you can, whenever you come to the country, please accept the card. We are all cricketers and we respect each other.”//