Najmul Hasan Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz Shine with Excellent Centuries
In the fourth match of the Asia Cup, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by 89 runs. The match was played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Bangladesh’s Najmul Hasan Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored splendid centuries.
Winning the toss against Afghanistan, Bangladesh decided to bat confidently. Bangladesh scored 334 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 50 overs and set a challenging target of 335 runs for Afghanistan. In response, the entire Afghan team managed to score 245 runs in 44.3 overs.
In the initial innings, Bangladeshi openers Mohammad Naim and Mehidy Hasan gave the team a fiery start but lost the first wicket with a total score of 60. Naim scored 28 runs before getting out, while Touhid Hirdoy was dismissed for a duck.
Following that, in the middle order, Najmul Hasan Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz formed a long partnership, stabilizing the team’s position and putting pressure on the Afghan bowlers. They established a partnership of 194 runs.
After scoring 112 runs, Mehidy Hasan Miraz retired hurt, while Najmul Hasan Shanto was out after scoring 104 runs.
Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim scored 25 runs, and Shamim Hussain scored 11 runs before getting out. Shakiib Al Hasan contributed 32 runs off 18 deliveries.
From Afghanistan’s side, Gulbadin Naib and Mujeeb Ur Rahman took one wicket each, while three Bangladeshi players were dismissed.
The match ended with Bangladesh securing a convincing victory over Afghanistan.