Bangladesh posted a strong total of 205 on the board — a challenging score in any T20 setting. Yet, despite the big total, they couldn’t hold off the United Arab Emirates, who secured a thrilling 2-wicket win with just one ball remaining in Sharjah. This marked UAE’s first-ever victory over Bangladesh in any format of international cricket.
Losing to a team like the UAE raised immediate questions. Who is to blame — batting, bowling, or fielding? In the closing stages, Bangladesh’s bowlers, including Nahid Rana and Tanzim Hasan Sakib, were wayward, and the team dropped two crucial catches. So, both bowling and fielding could be criticized.
However, captain Litton Das had a different take. According to him, dew played the decisive role in the defeat. Speaking at the post-match presentation, he said, “Any loss is painful. We batted well, the wicket was good. But I felt they had the advantage of dew while batting. Still, we gave our best effort.”
When asked what lessons he took from the defeat, Litton again pointed to the conditions. “You have to understand — when you play at grounds like this, which may appear small, dew becomes a major factor. You have to bowl accordingly,” the Bangladesh skipper explained.
It was also a tough T20 debut for pacer Nahid Rana, who has previously impressed in Tests and ODIs with his pace. However, nerves seemed to get the better of him, as he conceded 19 runs in his first over. Though he picked up two wickets later, his final figures read 4 overs, 50 runs.
Commenting on Rana’s performance, Litton said, “We expected more from him. But in cricket, a player can have both good and bad days.”
UA / TDS
