ARNOS VALE, Saint Vincent Grenadines: Bangladesh clinched a spot in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup with a hard-fought 21-run victory over Nepal on Sunday, cementing their place in the next round.
Despite struggling with the bat on a challenging surface at Arnos Vale, Bangladesh managed to post a total of 106 all out in 19.3 overs. However, it was a stunning spell of 4-7 by pace bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib that put Nepal’s reply in jeopardy, reducing them to 26-5.
Although Nepal staged a recovery, a remarkable performance from left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman, who claimed 3-7 including a wicket maiden in the penultimate over, sealed the win for Bangladesh as Nepal was bowled out for 85 in 19.2 overs.
Bangladesh’s second-place finish in Group D, behind South Africa, earned them a spot in Group 1 of the Super Eights alongside Afghanistan, India, and Australia.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed his satisfaction with their performance in the qualifying round, particularly highlighting their bowling prowess. “We obviously saw Tanzim rip through the top order, but it’s backed up with the left arm pace, the leg spin, the slow left arm spin,” he commented. “We have everything.”
Tanzim Hasan Sakib’s fiery spell dismantled Nepal’s top order, with his pace and bounce proving too challenging to handle. Despite a valiant effort from Nepal’s middle order, they fell short as Bangladesh’s bowling unit continued to apply pressure.
Reflecting on the match, Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel acknowledged the impressive performance of his team’s bowling unit but expressed disappointment over their batting display, especially from the top-order batsmen.
Overall, Bangladesh’s victory showcased their resilience and depth in both bowling and batting departments, setting a strong foundation as they progress to the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup.
