SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) — Shakib Al Hasan put in a captain’s performance to help Bangladesh sweep the two-match cricket Twenty20 series against Afghanistan with a six-wicket win under the DLS method on Sunday.
Shakib returned figures of 2-15 in three overs before scoring an unbeaten 18 as Bangladesh successfully chased its target of 119 in 17 overs in the rain-hit second T20 international. The hosts finished on 119-4 with five balls to spare.
Shamim Hossain (7 not out) pulled debutant Wafadar Momand for a winning boundary. It was Bangladesh’s first bilateral T20 series win against Afghanistan.
“We had the belief we would chase it down,” Shakib said.
The match was reduced to 17 overs after rain halted the game for more than an hour and Afghanistan put up 116-7.
“We wouldn’t want to make an excuse,” Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said after the defeat.
Shakib won the toss and chose to field.
Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed (3-33) removed openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai to leave Afghanistan 16-2 in the third over.
Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Nabi started rebuilding the innings but the rain break at 39-2 appeared to be a distraction. Pacer Mustafizur Rahman (2-30) broke through with the wicket of Nabi (16) after the game resumed.
Shakib then got into the act. He had Ibrahim caught by Afif Hossain for 22, before spinning one past Najibullah Zadran, with Afghanistan now at 67-5.
Azmatullah Omarzai (25) and Karim Janat (20) combined for 42 runs, Afghanistan’s highest partnership in this match, to move their team past 100.
But Taskin and Mustafizur denied them a final assault.
Bangladesh appeared to be heading for an easy win when openers Liton Das (35) and Afif (24) put on 67 runs.
Offspinner Mujib Ur Rahman (2-28) gave Afghanistan some hope after dismissing both Liton and Afif in three balls.
Omarzai further troubled Bangladesh, getting rid of Najmul Hossain (4) and Towhid Hridoy (19).
Bangladesh led the series following its two-wicket win in the first match, overcoming a dramatic last-over hat trick by Janat.
Bangladesh had made two changes from that game with batter Afif and pace bowler Hasan Mahmud replacing Rony Talukdar and Shoriful Islam.
Afghanistan made one change, bringing in pacer Momand in place of Farid Ahmad.
Afghanistan lost a one-off test between the sides by a record 546-run margin, before winning the three-match ODI series 2-1.
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