Asia Cup Super Four, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Bangladesh 249-7 (Liton Das 41, Mahmudullah 74, Imrul Kayes 72*; Aftab Alam 3-54)
Afghanistan 246-7 (Mohammad Shahzad 53, Hashmatullah Shahidi 77)
Bangladesh won by three runs
Bangladesh beat Afghanistan by three runs in a Super Four game of the 2018 Asia Cup on Sunday (Sep 23). Tiger's win means India sailed into the Sep 28 final in Dubai. Pakistan and Bangladesh meet in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (Sep 26) to decide the second finalist.
Bangladesh paceman Mustafizur Rahman held his nerves to bowl a final dot ball in the 50th over to give his team a nerve-wracking three-run win over Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (Sep 23). Needing eight to win off the 50th over Afghanistan lost Rashid Khan for five off the second ball while Samiullah Shinwari (23 not out) and Gulbadin Naib managed just two leg byes to finish at 7-246.
Bangladesh had made 7-249 on the back of half-centuries from Mahmudullah Riyad and Imrul Kayes at the Sheik Zayed Stadium.
The Bangladesh win meant India sailed into the Sep 28 final in Dubai while Pakistan and Bangladesh meet in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to decide the second finalist.
India thumped Pakistan by nine wickets in a one-sided match in Dubai on Sunday.
Afghanistan were helped to their total with a 99-ball 71 by Hashmatullah Shahidi who hit five boundaries while opener Mohammad Shahzad made an 81-ball 53 with eight boundaries. Skipper Asghar Afghan (39) and Mohammad Nabi (38) made useful contributions but the asking rate climbed to mount presure in the final over.
Earlier, Riyad scored an 81-ball 74 with two sixes and three fours while Imrul – recalled as a back-up to strengthen the batting – made an 89-ball 72 not out to help Bangladesh recover from a precarious 5-87.
Opener Liton Das scored 41 and Mushfiqur Rahim made 33 but Bangaldesh, who won the toss and batted, owed their total to a solid 128-run stand for the sixth wicket between Riyad and Imrul.
Imrul gave good support to Riyad as the two built the innings after Bangladesh's superstar batsman Shakib Al Hasan was run out for nought. Imrul hit six boundaries as Bangladesh handled the dangerous spinning duo of Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who managed a wicket each.
Bangladesh
Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Mehedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam
Afghanistan
Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Ihsanullah, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Samiullah Shenwari, Asghar Afghan (c), Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
