Set a target of 155, Afghanistan’s chase faltered despite cameos from Azmatullah Omarzai (30 off 16) and captain Rashid Khan (20 off 11).
Mustafizur Rahman (3/28) and Taskin Ahmed (2/34) struck at crucial moments to deny Afghanistan, while spinner Nasum Ahmed (2/11) and leggie Rishad Hossain (2/18) tightened the screws in the middle overs. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 146 in their 20 overs.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings was built around a blistering 52 off 31 balls from opener Tanzid Hasan, who shared a strong opening stand with Saif Hassan (30). Towhid Hridoy chipped in with 26, while late cameos from Jaker Ali (12*) and Nurul Hasan (12* off 6) lifted the total to 154/5.
But Litton felt the batting tailed off towards the back end.
“Winning the game was a relief, but we didn’t bat very well in the last 4-5 overs. I felt there were enough runs but still we were 15–20 runs short,” Litton said after the match.
“The way Nasum and Rishad bowled was special, they really showed their skill. Today Tamim batted very well, the opening partnership was crucial.” On whether he would now be supporting Sri Lanka in their next game against Afghanistan, Litton smiled: “I don’t know, let’s see.”
With this result, Bangladesh survived elimination fears and boosted their qualification chances, while Afghanistan’s campaign took a hit despite flashes of resistance.
