Shakib leads Bangladesh to T20 series sweep over Afghanistan

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 with figures of 2-15 in three overs before scoring an unbeaten 18 as Bangladesh successfully chased the 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.

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