Bangladesh made history in Sharjah by completing a dominant 3-0 clean sweep against Afghanistan in their three-match T20I series. The final match saw Bangladesh secure a commanding six-wicket victory, marking their first-ever 3-0 whitewash against Afghanistan in T20 international cricket.
The decisive performance in the third T20I came from opener Saif Hassan, who delivered an unbeaten half-century. Scoring 64 runs off just 38 balls, Hassan’s superb innings was instrumental in chasing down Afghanistan’s target of 144 runs with two overs to spare. Hassan, who also received his maiden ODI call-up for the upcoming series against the same team, was deservedly named the Player of the Match.
Earlier in the game, Bangladesh’s bowlers set the stage for victory by effectively restricting Afghanistan to 143/9 in their 20 overs. Spearheading the attack was Mohammad Saifuddin, who impressed with figures of 3 wickets for only 15 runs.
The Player of the Series award was presented to Nasum Ahmed, recognizing his consistent bowling performance. Ahmed credited his success to his variations and skillful adaptation to the slower, turning pitches, building on his prior strong performances against teams like New Zealand and Australia.
Post-match, Bangladesh captain Jaker Ali expressed immense satisfaction with his team`s performance, highlighting their resilience and strong comeback after a disappointing Asia Cup. He commended the team`s collective effort across all departments—fielding, bowling, and batting—and emphasized the importance of belief and confidence among the players. Ali noted that thorough preparation had been key to their series success.
Conversely, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan offered a candid assessment, admitting his team played “bad cricket” and praising Bangladesh’s “outstanding” all-round display. Khan attributed the 3-0 defeat primarily to Afghanistan’s poor fielding and a perceived lack of the aggressive intent they are known for, suggesting a defensive approach had crept into their recent series. He underscored the need to develop the top-order batting, confident that the middle order possesses ample firepower. Khan also stressed that talent was not the issue, but rather the mindset going into games, while mentioning promising young talents Bashir Ahmad and Abdullah Ahmadzai need more opportunities to develop.
Despite individual efforts from Afghanistan`s experienced bowlers like Mujeeb Ur Rahman, their persistent batting struggles throughout the series ultimately proved to be their undoing. Bangladesh’s cohesive team performance, particularly their consistent batting intent anchored by players like Saif Hassan, ensured a well-deserved series clean sweep.
