Bangladesh seek redemption in T20 opener vs Pakistan

The match begins at 9 PM Bangladesh Time and will be broadcast live on T Sports.

Bangladesh, who went into the UAE series as clear favorites, now step into the Pakistan tour as underdogs. Historically, their record against Pakistan is poor—winning just 3 of 19 T20Is. One of those wins came during the 2023 Asian Games, where both countries fielded second-string teams.

Bangladesh's other two victories against Pakistan came in 2015 and 2016 in Mirpur. The main squads last faced off in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Adelaide, where Pakistan triumphed by five wickets, led by a standout bowling performance from Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Afridi, along with senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, has been rested for this series. However, their replacements have impressed in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), posing a fresh challenge for the visitors.

Bangladesh have begun training in Lahore, focusing on addressing mistakes from the UAE series. Skipper Liton Das cited the dew factor as a key issue in the losses, but conditions in Lahore are expected to be different. Still, the team has practiced with a wet ball to prepare for any such challenges.

“We're determined to correct our mistakes in these sessions,” said BCB director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, who is with the squad in Pakistan. “The coaching staff is doing everything possible to help the team perform better.”

Bangladesh have also been hit by injuries. Pacer Mustafizur Rahman and allrounder Soumya Sarkar have been ruled out of the series. Soumya missed the entire UAE tour, while Mustafizur, who left after the first UAE match to join the IPL, sustained an injury in his last game with Delhi Capitals. His absence, especially in the death overs, is seen as a major blow.

Both teams come into the series with poor recent form. Pakistan have won only three of their last 13 T20Is, two against Zimbabwe, and have dropped to eighth in the T20I rankings. Bangladesh, ranked ninth, have won just four of their last 12 T20Is, with losses to lower-ranked USA and UAE.

Bangladesh squad: Liton Das (capt), Mahedi Hasan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Patwari, Jaker Ali Anik, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam.

Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Shadab Khan (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub.