UAE shock Bangladesh to create cricket history in Sharjah, eye landmark series triumph

Sharjah: The UAE added Bangladesh to their growing list of Test-playing scalps on Monday night, clinching a dramatic two-wicket win at Sharjah to seal their fourth T20I victory over a Full-Member nation — after previous triumphs against the West Indies, Afghanistan and New Zealand.

The UAE created history at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium when skipper Muhammad Waseem guided the hosts to a thrilling win in the second Twenty20 international. It marked UAE’s first-ever victory over Bangladesh in T20Is and levelled the series 1-1.

Only days after returning from a disappointing League 2 campaign in the Netherlands — where they managed just one win from four matches — UAE had pushed Bangladesh close in the first game, falling short by 27 runs. But in the second T20I, Waseem led the charge with a blistering 82, and though he fell before the finish, the rest of the UAE batters held their nerve.

A crucial eighth-wicket stand between Dhruv Parashar and Haider Ali added 25 runs to take UAE closer to the target. With four runs needed from three balls, pacer Matiullah Khan rotated the strike to allow Ali — playing just his second T20I and batting for the first time — to hit the winning runs off the penultimate delivery, a free hit.

Waseem, who was named Player of the Match, said: “I have no words. I am very happy we beat Bangladesh. Very happy with the performance. I was giving hope to everyone that we can chase this score because we know the conditions here. We were hoping to chase it and I tried to play my natural game.

“After the wicket of Rahul, I was trying to play long but unfortunately gave away my wicket as well. I had the belief in our capabilities. Dhruv hit one six, Haider also hit one and thankfully, we won. We will go with our strength (in the third game) and hopefully we can win the series.”

UAE’s record in the shortest format continues to be their strength. It’s the 50-over game that has exposed their vulnerabilities. Coach Lalchand Rajput and the Emirates Cricket Board have been working to improve performances in the longer white-ball format and climb the standings in the Cricket World Cup League 2.

In an attempt to improve game awareness and strike rotation, a select group of 45 UAE players were put through two-day matches at Sharjah. However, with just three wins from 16 matches in the eight-team League 2, the road ahead remains steep when the league returns to UAE.

Rahul Chopra’s century and Simranjeet Singh’s four-wicket haul against Scotland were among the few bright spots during the Netherlands tour. But UAE are expected to feel more at home in T20Is — their preferred format. Their recent run in T20s saw them qualify for this year’s Asia Cup, thanks to a dominant showing in the ACC Premier Cup.

At the request of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, uncertain over scheduling their upcoming tour of Pakistan, the series was extended from two to three matches. The final T20I will be held on Wednesday.

Earlier, Bangladesh rode on a 90-run opening stand between Tanzid Hasan and skipper Litton Das, with Tanzid hitting a brisk half-century. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy extended their good run to help Bangladesh post 205 for 5 in 20 overs. Muhammad Jawadullah (3 for 45) and debutant Saghir Khan (2 for 36) were the standout bowlers for UAE.

Bangladesh captain Litton Das said: “Any loss is hard, but we still batted well on this wicket, which was pretty good when they batted. The UAE had the favour of dew. We missed a bit in the fielding and in the middle-overs bowling. When you play on this type of ground, which is small and with dew a factor, you have to calculate and plan.”

With the series now level, Wednesday’s decider gives UAE a golden opportunity — not just to seal a rare series win over a Full-Member side, but to prove once again that their T20 rise. One more upset will underline their strength in the format.