Afghanistan whitewashed Bangladesh 3-0 in the bilateral T20I series after winning the third and final match by a close margin of one run at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, India Thursday.
Chasing 146, the Tigers were restricted to 144 for the loss of six wickets in their stipulated 20 overs, wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim top-scoring with a 37-ball 46, featuring seven fours.
All-rounder Mahmudullah chipped in with a 38-ball 45, including three boundaries and a couple of sixes.
Earlier, Bangladesh conceded 145 after Afghanistan batted first.
Bangladesh lost the third T20I against Afghanistan by 1 run. #BANvAFG pic.twitter.com/lj7KeryQAF
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) June 7, 2018
The Tigers went into the game with the mission of avoiding a whitewash against the Afghans in their maiden bilateral series. Bangladesh made three changes, brining in pacer Abu Jayed, spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz and middle-order batsman Ariful Haque in place of batsman Sabbir Rahman, seamer Rubel Hossain and all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain.
On a low and slow track, the Afghans somewhat failed to fire, compared to the first two T20Is which they had won convincingly to seal the series. With No 4 batsman Samiullah Shenwari remaining not out on 33, the designated home side lost six wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Bangladesh spinner Nazmul Islam and Jayed picked up two wickets each while Test and T20I Shakib al Hasan and occasional pacer Ariful bagged one scalp apiece. Shakib dismissed middle-order batsman Najibullah Zadran to emerge as the fastest cricketer to reach the double of 500 wickets and 10,000 runs in international cricket.
Shakib is only the third cricketer to join the club after South Africa legend Jacques Kallis and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. Both Kallis and Afridi however, took more matches than Shakib to reach the milestone.
Only three players in the world have now won more Player of the Series awards in T20Is than Rashid Khan (2) - Virat Kohli (4), Shahid Afridi (3) and Shoaib Malik (3). #AFGvBAN
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) June 7, 2018
3RD T20I
Bangladesh 144/6 (Mushfiq 46, Mahmudullah 45) lost to Afghanistan 145/6 (Shenwari 33*, Nazmul 2/18) by one run
