Bangladesh Finally Breaks Hong Kong Jinx

Bangladesh secured their first-ever T20I win against Hong Kong, avenging the bitter memory of their only previous defeat in 2014. In the Asia Cup campaign, the Tigers earned two valuable points in Group B with a hard-fought 7-wicket victory in Abu Dhabi, though questions remain over their batting approach.

Chasing 144, Bangladesh wrapped up the match with 14 balls to spare. Despite losing both openers early, the foundation was built by Liton Das and Towhid Hridoy. Liton struck a fine 59 off 39 deliveries, while Hridoy remained unbeaten on 35. Their 95-run partnership ensured Bangladesh’s dominance after Hong Kong created some mid-innings pressure. Liton, who smashed six fours and a six, also became Bangladesh’s highest six-hitter in T20Is with 78 maximums, surpassing Mahmudullah. His effort earned him the Player of the Match award.

Earlier, Hong Kong posted 143/7 in their 20 overs— a significant improvement from their collapse against Afghanistan in the previous match. Contributions came from Nizakat Khan (42), Zeeshan Ali (30), and skipper Yasim Murtaza, who played a brisk knock of 28 off 19 balls. However, regular wickets in the final overs restricted their acceleration.

For Bangladesh, young pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib impressed once again with raw pace, clocking over 140 km/h and claiming 2 wickets for 21 runs, dismissing Zeeshan Ali and Babar Hayat. Taskin Ahmed also picked up two wickets, including one in the final over, while leg-spinner Rishad Hossain struck late to remove Nizakat Khan and Kinchit Shah in consecutive deliveries.

Hong Kong’s Ateeq Iqbal was the standout bowler for his side, taking 2 wickets for just 14 runs and keeping Bangladesh under check in the powerplay.

Though Bangladesh eventually cruised home, their slow scoring rate during the middle overs raised concerns about the batting strategy, especially with tougher matches ahead in the Asia Cup.

With this win, Bangladesh not only broke their losing streak against Hong Kong but also strengthened their position in Group B, keeping their hopes alive for the Super Four stage.