Despite posting their highest T20 total against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe lost the third match of the three-match series by five wickets Sunday. Bangladesh won the series 2-1 with a five-wicket victory at Harare Sports Club today. Chasing 194, the Tigers failed to have a good start as Mohammad Naim fell prey to Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani for only three. However, Soumya Sarkar stood tall at the other end of the wicket. In the second wicket stand, Soumya and Shakib Al Hasan added 50 runs. Shakib perished on 25 off 13 balls with two sixes and one four. In the third wicket stand, captain Mahmudullah Riyad and Soumya put in another 50-plus partnership. Soumya was dismissed for 68 off 49 balls with nine fours and one six. After his departure, Afif Hossain added 14 runs off five balls. Read: PM greets Tigers for T20 series win against Zimbabwe As the Tigers were just seven runs away from victory, Mahmudullah was removed by Muzarabani. However, youngster Shamim already brought the game back under control with three consecutive fours off Dion Myers in the 18th over. He scored 31 off 15 balls with six fours. Shamim, who made his debut in the second game of the series, had struck 29 off 13 balls but Bangladesh lost the match. Bangladesh needed five runs off the last six balls. Shamim hit a four off the first ball of the last over to level the score. Off the next ball, he got a single and finished the game for the Tigers in 19.2 overs with five wickets in hand.  Muzarabani and Luke Jongwe took two wickets each, but it was not enough for the hosts to avoid a defeat. It was Bangladesh's second-highest successful run chase in T20. Their highest successful run chase in the format is 215 against Sri Lanka.  In Sunday's game, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Madhevere added 63 runs in just 5.6 overs. In the fourth over of the innings, Madhevere struck five fours off Taskin Ahmed. Madhevere took only 13 balls to score 30 runs. Read: Tigers crush Zimbabwe in first T20 match Regis Chakabva struck 48 off 22 balls with six sixes. Soumya Sarkar managed a breakthrough by removing Chakabva and Sikandar Raza in the same over. But it was not enough to restrict Zimbabwe within 150 or 160 runs. Ryan Burl did the final damage with the bat, scoring 31 off 15 balls with three fours and two sixes.  Soumya was the best bowler for Bangladesh, taking two wickets for 19 runs in three overs. However, Saifuddin conceded 50 runs in four overs and bagged only one wicket. Nasum Ahmed, who got in the starting XI for the first time in this series, conceded 37 runs. Bangladesh won the first match of the three-match series, but the hosts made a good comeback in the second. So the third match became the series decider. Before the T20 series, Bangladesh won the three-match ODI series and one-off Test.

Bangladesh lost the toss in the second ODI of the three-match series against Zimbabwe, and they will bowl first on Sunday at the Harare Sports Club.  Bangladesh field an unchanged XI from the first match.  Read:Mustafiz uncertain for Zimbabwe ODI series decider Mustafizur Rahman, the injured pacer, is out of the playing XI once again. He got a blow on his ankle in the lone practice match prior to the series.  Bangladesh won the series opener by a big margin of 155 runs, riding on the fourth ODI hundred by Liton Das. Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have also done well with the bat.  Read:Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe 2021: Three Reasons Behind Tigers Thumping Win in the First ODI In reply to Bangladesh’s 276, Zimbabwe tumbled for 121 despite a fifty by Regis Chakabva. Bangladesh’s premium spinner Shakib Al Hasan bagged five wickets for 30 runs to guide the Tigers to an emphatic win.  So the second match came as a chance to seal the series for the Tigers.  This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. The top seven teams of this event along with the shots, India, will qualify directly to the World Cup 2023.  Read:Shakib bags five as Bangladesh register emphatic win vs Zimbabwe Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal(c), Liton Das(w), Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Regis Chakabva(w), Brendan Taylor(c), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza, Wesley Madhevere, Luke Jongwe, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava

Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday. Tamim Iqbal, the left-handed opener, has been overlooked in this match due to a leg injury. Shadman Islam and Saif Hassan are to open for the Tigers.  Read:Two Zimbabwe cricketers forced to isolate ahead of Bangladesh Test Mahmudullah Riyad, the right-handed opener, is back in the playing XI after the Rawalpindi Test in 2020.  Shakib Al Hasan, who was out of the Test team in the Sri Lanka series, also made a comeback to the Test side.  Meanwhile, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman, Brendan Taylor, will lead Zimbabwe in this match as the regular Test captain Sean Williams is not available. He went to self-isolation after he came in contact with a family member who tested positive for Covid-19.   Read:Mominul eyes victory in Zimbabwe Test, match kicks off at 1:30 pm Bangladesh time After the one-off Test, both the teams will lock horns in three ODIs and as many T20Is. All the matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club. While the ODIs will take place on July 16, 18, and 20, the T20Is will be played on July 23, 25, and 27, respectively. Bangladesh’s last Zimbabwe tour was in 2013 when the Tigers ended up the series in a draw winning one of the two-match series.  Overall, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe took each other in nine Test series. Of them, Zimbabwe won four and Bangladesh came up victorious in three, while the other two ended up in a draw each. Read:Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe 2021: Test Series Preview Bangladesh (Playing XI): Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Mominul Haque(c), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, Liton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Milton Shumba, Brendan Taylor(c), Dion Myers, Timycen Maruma, Roy Kaia, Regis Chakabva(w), Donald Tiripano, Victor Nyauchi, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava

Sean Williams' first test century as the Zimbabwe captain led his side to 352-6 against Sri Lanka on Monday.