Tawhid Hridoy scored an unbeaten 51 off 27 balls to lead Bangladesh to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first T20I on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Chasing a target of 183 at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram, Bangladesh reached 183-4 with two overs to spare.

The successful run chase was driven by an aggressive middle-order performance that overwhelmed the New Zealand bowling attack.

After Bangladesh reached 77-2 in the 10th over, Hridoy and Parvez Hossain Emon shifted the match's momentum. The pair combined for a rapid 57-run partnership off just 28 deliveries.

Following Emon’s dismissal for a 14-ball 28, Shamim Hossain joined Hridoy at the crease to secure the win. Shamim contributed an unbeaten 31 off 13 balls, helping close out the match in the 18th over. 

Bangladesh captain Litton Das praised the middle order for executing the chase on a surface that became increasingly challenging as the match progressed.

"A total of 183 is a big total at this ground because the wicket was not that easy to bat on; it was slow during the change of innings," Litton said. "The way Emon, Hridoy, and Shamim batted made it look easy, but it really wasn't."

Earlier, New Zealand posted 182-6 after being asked to bat first. Dane Cleaver and Katene Clarke anchored the visitors' innings, scoring 51 runs each.

The pair built an 88-run second-wicket partnership before Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain dismissed both batters. Hossain finished as the team's most successful bowler with figures of 2-32.

New Zealand captain Nick Kelly acknowledged his team lost control during the middle overs of the chase, citing Bangladesh's superior boundary-hitting ability as the deciding factor.