Hridoy hails all-round effort after leveling T20 series against Zimbabwe

Hridoy hails all-round effort after leveling T20 series against Zimbabwe

DHAKA, July 17, 2026 (BSS)-Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy hailed his side’s 

stellar performance after they defeated Zimbabwe by 34 runs in the second T20 

International to level the three-match series 1-1 in Bulawayo today.

Hridoy said Bangladesh’s batters finally executed the team’s plans after 

struggling throughout the Zimbabwe tour.

“As a unit, we bowled and batted really well. The batters took 

responsibility,” Hridoy said. “We are always talking about partnerships, and 

we had a very good one early on. Our target was to get a couple of 

partnerships, with the main focus on the start of the innings. We needed that 

early partnership, and we executed it today.”

Bangladesh posted 186-5 after openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Saif Hasan 

shared a 120-run stand before the bowlers dismissed Zimbabwe for 152.

Hridoy praised his bowlers for sticking to their plans on a surface that 

offered assistance.

“Our plan was to bowl tight lines, and they executed that well here,” he 

said.

Reflecting on Bangladesh’s difficult tour, which included defeats in the one-

off Test and ODI series, Hridoy said the players had adapted to the 

conditions.

“As professional players, we have to adjust quickly. We know the conditions 

now, so we are trying to adapt and execute our plans,” he said.

The captain also hoped that pace bowler Nahid Rana, who appeared to suffer a 

fitness concern during the match, would recover in time for the series 

decider.

Player of the Match Mohammad Saifuddin attributed Bangladesh’s turnaround to 

better preparation and adaptation to local conditions.

“Alhamdulillah. After a long time, it’s my first Player of the Match award in 

T20 Internationals. That’s why I’m so excited,” Saifuddin said.

He credited the opening pair for laying the platform and praised the bowlers 

for completing the job.

“All credit goes to our opening batters. They batted really well and set the 

tone for a big score. Credit also goes to our bowling attack. Mahedi, Rishad, 

everyone did well.”

Saifuddin said Bangladesh had addressed their struggles against Zimbabwean 

conditions during team discussions.

“We discussed it a lot over the last few days. We needed to adjust to the 

conditions. This is winter here, whereas our conditions at home are very hot. 

We had a little bit of a problem adjusting to the wicket. But two days ago, 

we had a good meeting, and that’s why our batters did really well today,” he 

added.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza admitted his side’s poor fielding cost them 

the match despite a spirited bowling effort.

“To be honest, as a captain, I’m genuinely embarrassed to be here,” Raza 

said. “The way we fielded had a ripple effect into our batting.”

Zimbabwe dropped seven catches before the final over, in which Brad Evans 

conceded 28 runs to Mohammad Saifuddin, helping Bangladesh finish with a 

commanding total.

Raza believed his bowlers had kept Zimbabwe in the contest despite the missed 

opportunities.

“Even after dropping that many catches, we kept them at bay until the 19th 

over. I thought that was a great performance because we had dropped seven 

catches by then.”

He said Bangladesh’s late collapse briefly kept Zimbabwe in the game, but the 

expensive final over proved decisive.

“The last over took the game away from us. At 165, we might have gone about 

our business slightly differently. But the way we fielded, that was coming.”

Raza insisted Zimbabwe did not deserve victory after such a sloppy display in 

the field.

“I just think we didn’t deserve to win. Even with 165, we didn’t deserve to 

win,” he said.

The series-deciding third and final T20 International will be played on 

Sunday at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.