Bangladesh achieved a convincing 7-wicket victory over Pakistan in the opening T20I of the series at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on July 20, 2025.
Chasing a modest target of 111 runs, Bangladesh completed the task in just 15.3 overs, led by opener Parvez Hossain Emon, who scored an explosive unbeaten 56 off 39 balls. This win gives Bangladesh a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, showcasing their dominant batting performance against a struggling Pakistani side.
Bangladesh started the pursuit shakily after losing Tanzid Hasan (1) and captain Litton Das (1) to pacer Salman Mirza in the early overs, slipping to 7/2 in 2.2 overs. However, Emon and Towhid Hridoy steadied the innings with a crucial 73-run partnership, taking the score to 80 in 12 overs.
Abbas Afridi broke the stand by dismissing Hridoy for 36, but Emon remained unshaken. He partnered with Jaker Ali to guide Bangladesh home inside 16 overs, finishing with plenty of balls to spare. Emon’s knock featured aggressive strokeplay, proving decisive in the low-scoring encounter.
Bangladesh win the first T20I by seven wickets 🏏
Pakistan will look to bounce back in the second game, scheduled on Tuesday#BANvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/CdEqw2I4sa
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 20, 2025Pakistan, electing to bat first after losing the toss, crumbled to 110 all out in 19.3 overs. Opener Saim Ayub fell early for 6 to Taskin Ahmed, followed by Mohammad Haris (4) to Mahedi Hasan, leaving them at 32/2 in three overs.
Captain Salman Agha (3) and Mohammad Nawaz (0) departed quickly, reducing Pakistan to 46/5 in 7.4 overs after another run-out. Fakhar Zaman provided resistance with 44 but was run out in the 12th over.
Khushdil Shah (17) and Abbas Afridi (22) added a 33-run stand to reach 103/7 in 16.2 overs, but the tail folded. Taskin Ahmed led Bangladesh’s bowling with 3 wickets, Mustafizur Rahman took 2, while Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Shakib claimed 1 each.
This batting failure exposed Pakistan’s vulnerabilities, setting a defendable but ultimately insufficient total. Bangladesh’s clinical performance positions them strongly for the series. Pakistan must address batting inconsistencies to bounce back in the second T20I on July 22 at the same venue.
