Watch full highlights of Bangladesh’s impressive seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in their Asia Cup T20 encounter, played in Dubai on Monday. The thrilling semifinal gave way to spectacular play from both teams. Hong Kong had put the Bangladeshi side under pressure by posting a difficult target of 143 runs. It took a wonderful batting effort from Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy to guide Bangladesh home comfortably.
Hong Kong’s run chase was opened up by the aggressive Nizakat Khan, whose quickfire 42 would prove crucial to Hong Kong’s cause. He led a key partnership worth 46 runs with Yasim Murtaza, who scored 28 runs off only 19 balls. Unperturbed, their joint efforts steered Hong Kong to a respectable 143 runs on the board with the loss of seven wickets. The match turned completely on its head when Nizakat Khan suffered a bizarre run-out. Back with the bat, Zeeshan Ali was the highest run-scorer for Auqaf with 30 runs. Rishad Hossain’s extraordinary bowling spell included 2 wickets in one over, including that of Nizakat Khan.
Chasing 144 runs Bangladesh had great early turbulence in response, losing two wickets quickly. This was when Litton Das stood up to steady the ship. He finished up top-scoring with a blistering 59 from only 41 balls, bringing up his fifty in just 33 balls. Twice him, Towhid Hridoy was his Beatles to his Elvis supporting him with critical 35 not out runs. The duo constructed a daunting 95-run partnership to guide Bangladesh to a decisive victory.
Bangladesh’s bowlers put just as great a stamp on their success. Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain picked up two wickets apiece each to break down Hong Kong’s batting line-up. The second match saw Tanzim Hasan Sakib put on a show — the young fast bowler’s 2/21 in four overs was an efficient performance.
The final few overs served as a testament to the depth of the Bangladeshi batting order. It showcased immense talent in the Hong Kong squad. Even with the loss, Hong Kong’s talents left a lasting impression. Nizakat Khan’s innings and the strong partnerships helped set a real score and competitive total for the match.
