Najibullah Zadran and Ibrahim Zadran powered Afghanistan to a stunning win over Bangladesh in the ongoing Asia Cup on Tuesday in Sharjah.
With this win, Afghanistan ensured their qualification for the next phase of the event as group winners.
Bangladesh batted first and posted only 127 runs for seven wickets. In reply, Afghanistan chased the target of 128 in 18.3 overs and won the match with seven wickets in hand.
Ibrahim scored 42 off 41 balls while Najibullah smashed 43 off just 17 deliveries with six sixes.
In the last five overs of the match, Afghanistan needed 52 runs. They scored it with nine balls to play.
For Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin took a wicket each.
Bangladesh's fast bowlers-- Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman-- failed to deliver. Taskin conceded 22 runs in three overs while Mustafizur gave way 30 runs in three overs, with neither taking a wicket.
Earlier, Mosaddek scored the highest unbeaten 48 off 31 balls while Mahmudullah Riyad scored 25 off 27 balls. Four of Bangladesh’s first five batters failed to reach a double-digit score.
Read: Tigers must try to defend just 127 as batters fail again
Bangladesh won the toss but they failed horribly to justify the decision. They lost both the openers inside the powerplay, and they managed only 50 runs in the first 10 overs losing two more wickets.
Mohammad Naim, who was called to the team for his hundred for Bangladesh A against the West Indies A, failed once again to prove his mettle in the T20Is. Anamul Haque Bijoy, Naim’s opening partner, who recently scored two fifties in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, was also disappointed with the bat in this match.
Bangladesh badly missed the service of Liton Das who is not part of the Bangladesh team in the Asia Cup due to an injury.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman picked up all of the first three wickets Bangladesh lost, and was adjudged the Player of the Match against his figures of 3/16 off 4 overs. Rashid Khan came on and removed Mushfqiur Rahim.
In the fifth wicket stand, Mahmudullah Riyad and Afif Hossain added 25 runs. The stand was broken when Afif fell prey to Rashid as his third scalp.
Bangladesh could manage only 87 runs in 15 overs for five wickets. In the last five overs, Bangladesh managed only 40 runs losing two more wickets.
For Afghanistan, Mujeeb and Rashid scalped three wickets each.
While Bangladesh started their Asia Cup campaign with this match, Afghanistan have already played a match and won that by eight wickets against Sri Lanka in the event opener.
In the next match in the group phase, Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka on September 1 in Dubai.