Bangladesh 115 for 2 (Tanzid 67) beat Pakistan 114 (Faheem 37, Farhan 27, Rana 5-24, Mehidy 3-29)*
Fast bowler Nahid Rana’s maiden five-wicket haul dismantled Pakistan as Bangladesh secured an emphatic eight-wicket victory in the opening ODI at Mirpur. The hosts chased down the modest 115-run target in just 15.1 overs after bowling Pakistan out for 114, registering their biggest win over Pakistan in terms of wickets and balls remaining.
Tanzid Hasan led the run chase with an unbeaten 67 off 42 deliveries, striking seven fours and five sixes. He shared an 82-run stand for the second wicket with Najmul Hossain Shanto, who contributed 27 with five boundaries. The match also became the shortest ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan based on the total number of overs bowled.
Rana’s Early Burst Sets the Tone
Rana proved to be the decisive factor, making a major impact during his seven-over spell. He struck in each of his first five overs, as Pakistan struggled against his pace and bounce — reminiscent of his performance during the Rawalpindi Test in 2024, where he had claimed four wickets.
Pakistan fielded four debutants in Mirpur, their highest number in an ODI since 2008. Among them, Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat added 41 for the opening wicket before Rana dismissed Farhan in the tenth over. Farhan’s 27 came off 38 balls before he sent a length delivery to Afif Hossain at point.
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Shamyl Hussain followed soon after, top-edging a Rana bouncer that Litton Das collected safely. Shamyl had earlier been dropped on two at long-off but was unable to capitalise. When Sadaqat fell to another short-pitched ball, Pakistan slid from 41 without loss to 55 for three in the 14th over.
There was brief resistance when Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha came together. Rizwan struck Rana for a boundary before being induced into a drive that resulted in a catch behind. Salman’s dismissal soon after typified Pakistan’s struggles, as he fended a short delivery to short leg where Tanzid completed a juggling catch.
Rana continued to test the batters with sustained pace, even delivering a 148.6kph ball to Faheem Ashraf during his final spell. Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz then claimed three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman picked up one each, as Pakistan were bowled out in the 31st over. Faheem top-scored with 37, adding 32 runs for the final wicket alongside Abrar Ahmed.
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Tanzid’s Aggressive Knock Seals the Chase
Pakistan’s defence began shakily, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem conceding five wides in the opening two overs before Afridi removed Saif Hassan. Despite the early setback, Tanzid and Shanto launched a counterattack, regularly finding the boundary.
Tanzid struck Faheem for two fours in the second over, while Shanto opened his account with a powerful drive off Afridi. The momentum continued as Tanzid hit Mohammad Wasim for a six and a four in the sixth over, and Shanto responded by striking Afridi for three fours in the following over.
The aggressive approach persisted, with Tanzid targeting Abrar Ahmed for two sixes before Shanto edged Afridi for another boundary. Bangladesh reached 81 for one after ten overs — their second-highest powerplay score in ODIs against Pakistan.
Tanzid later added two more sixes off Abrar and Agha while bringing up his half-century from just 32 balls. Shanto eventually edged Wasim to the wicketkeeper, but the wicket offered little consolation for Pakistan as Bangladesh completed a comprehensive victory.
