"Was struggling in last couple innings, but today...": Bangladesh skipper Shanto lauds veteran Shakib after beating Netherlands

Rishad Hossain's three-wicket haul and Shakib Al Hasan's unbeaten 64 kept Bangladesh's hope alive of securing a place in Super 8 as Tigers defeated Netherlands by 25 runs in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at the Arnos Vale Ground on Thursday.

Following his side's 25-run win over Netherlands in their ICC T20 World Cup match, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto lauded his team for showing character and commended veteran Shakib al Hasan for his match-winning knock. Rishad Hossain's three-wicket haul and Shakib Al Hasan's unbeaten 64 kept Bangladesh's hope alive of securing a place in Super 8 as Tigers defeated Netherlands by 25 runs in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at the Arnos Vale Ground on Thursday.

Speaking in the game in the post-match presentation, Shanto said, "Boys showed a lot of character. Was a very important match for us and everyone was calm on the field. He was struggling in last couple of innings, but he showed his skill (talking about Shakib). We did not know how the conditions would behave. Very hard for the batters but they did a great job. Very good outfield and the pitch also looked good. There was some uneven bounce with the new ball but that can happen. We all know how capable Mustafizur is. Rishad bowled well under pressure. I think all the bowlers did a good job." Coming to the match, Netherlands won the toss and opted to bowl first. After Bangladesh was restricted to 23/2, a 48-run partnership between Tanzid Hassan (35 in 26 balls, with five fours and a six) and Shakib al Hasan (64* in 46 balls, with nine fours) stabilised the innings. Shakib later had some valuable partnerships with Mahmudullah (25 in 21 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Jaker Ali (14* in seven balls, with three fours) to help Bangladesh reach 159/5 in their 20 overs.

Paul van Meekeren (2/15) and Aryan Dutt (2/17) were the pick of the bowlers for the Netherlands. In the run-chase of 160 runs, Netherlands was 69/3 in 9.3 overs. Then, Sybrand Engelbrecht (33 in 22 balls, with three fours and a six) and Scott Edwards (25 in 23 balls, with three fours) had a 42-run partnership which put the game in the balance. A spell from Rishad Hossain (3/33) then disrupted the Dutch run-chase and left them 25 runs short at 134/8 in their 20 overs.

Taskin Ahmed (2/30) was also fine with the ball for Bangladesh. Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mahmudullah got a wicket each. Shakib took home the 'Player of the Match' award for his half-century.

Bangladesh is at the second place in Group D with two wins and a loss, giving them four points. The Netherlands is at number three with a win and two losses, giving them two points. Both teams are still in contention for a Super Eight spot. (ANI)

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