**Bangladesh Pip Afghanistan in 2nd T20I to Seal Series Victory**
*By Rajdeep Saha | October 4, 2025*
Shoriful Islam emerged as the star performer as Bangladesh clinched a thrilling two-wicket win over Afghanistan in the second T20 International at Sharjah. This victory secured an unassailable 2-0 lead for Bangladesh in the three-match series.
### Bangladesh’s Rocky Chase
Chasing a target of 148 runs, Bangladesh’s innings saw a dramatic collapse after a promising start. The team went from a solid 102/4 to a precarious 129/8 within just four overs. Noor Ahmad was instrumental in triggering the collapse, dismissing Shamim Hossain for 33, while Nasum Ahmed also fell after showing early promise.
Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai capitalized in the 18th over by taking two crucial wickets, leaving Bangladesh needing 19 runs off the last two overs with only two wickets in hand.
### A Nail-Biting Finish
Nurul Hasan and Shoriful Islam held their nerves to steer Bangladesh home. Nurul kept hopes alive with a six off Noor Ahmad followed by a quick single. Shoriful then struck a boundary, reducing the equation to just two runs in the final over. Taking command in the tense finish, Shoriful smacked Omarzai’s first delivery down the ground for the winning runs.
Nurul remained unbeaten on 31 runs off 21 balls, and Shoriful contributed a vital 11* from six deliveries.
### Middle-Order Resilience
Earlier, after losing their openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain to Azmatullah Omarzai, Bangladesh struggled to stabilize. Although Saif Hassan showcased his power-hitting with a couple of sixes, he was dismissed by Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the fifth over.
Shamim Hossain and Jaker Ali then forged an important 56-run partnership for the fourth wicket, steadying the innings. However, Rashid Khan ended Jaker’s innings for the second consecutive time in the series.
### Afghanistan’s Bowling Effort
Afghanistan posted a competitive total of 147/5, thanks largely to a steady start by their openers Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal. Atal was caught at long-on for 23 runs after striking two sixes off Rishad Hossain in the eighth over.
Nasum Ahmed dismissed Zadran for 38, while Wafiullah Tarakhil fell cheaply for one, also caught at long-on. Afghanistan slipped to 90/4 and later 118/5 before reaching their final total.
### Azmatullah Omarzai’s Standout Performance
Azmatullah Omarzai was the star all-rounder for Afghanistan, contributing an unbeaten 19 runs and taking 4 wickets for 23 runs. This marked his second four-wicket haul in T20 Internationals. Omarzai has now claimed 39 wickets at an average of 29.02 in the format.
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With this win, Bangladesh has secured the T20I series against Afghanistan with a match to spare, underlining their growing strength in the shortest format of the game.
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