Photo: Espncricinfo
Bangladesh etched their name in history books by securing their first-ever T20I victory on New Zealand soil on Wednesday (27 December).
Spearheaded by Shoriful Islam's three-wicket haul and Litton Das's anchoring unbeaten 42, the Tigers chased down a challenging target of 135 in Napier to clinch a momentous five-wicket win.
The chase wasn't without its hiccups. Bangladesh saw regular wickets fall, but Litton stood firm, guiding the team home with eight balls remaining.
Rony Talukdar (10) departed early in the second over. Najmul Hossain Shanto (19) started confidently but couldn't convert. Soumya Sarkar (22) also looked promising before Ben Sears dismissed him with a stunning delivery.
Towhid Hridoy (18) and Afif Hossain (1) fell in quick succession, but Mahedi Hasan (19*) remained unbeaten and hit the winning shot off Adam Milne.
Earlier, Bangladesh's bowlers were on fire, restricting New Zealand to their lowest T20I total against them while batting first at home - 134 for nine.
Mahedi struck in the first over, and Shoriful rocked the Black Caps with two wickets in two deliveries in the second over, reducing them to a precarious 2 for 3. Mahedi and Mustafizur Rahman chipped in with two wickets each.
James Neesham (48) and Mitchell Santner (23) tried to rebuild the innings, but the total proved insufficient against Bangladesh's determined pursuit.
This historic win marks a remarkable turnaround for Bangladesh. Before this tour, they had never won a white-ball match in New Zealand. Now, they stand tall with two consecutive victories on Kiwi soil.
Messenger/Sun Yath
