Parvez Hossain ended Bangladesh’s long drought of centuries in T20 cricket, helping the team take the lead in the series with a strong win in the first match.
Since Tamim Iqbal scored a century against Oman in the 2016 T20 World Cup, no Bangladeshi batter had reached three figures in this format—until now. Parvez Hossain Emon’s record-breaking innings led Bangladesh to a much-anticipated victory.
In the two-match T20 series, Bangladesh defeated the United Arab Emirates by 27 runs in the first game at Sharjah International Stadium on Saturday.
Parvez scored a brilliant 100 off just 54 balls, including 5 fours and 9 sixes—the highest number of sixes ever hit by a Bangladeshi player in a T20 innings.
However, no other Bangladeshi batter managed to reach 20 runs. Despite crossing 100 runs within 10 overs, Bangladesh couldn’t reach 200, finishing with 191 runs in 20 overs.
The UAE gave a tough chase, with Muhammad Waseem and Asif Khan putting Bangladesh under pressure. Though Bangladesh eventually won comfortably, the opposition threatened a comeback at one stage. But UAE couldn’t close the gap.
This was Bangladesh’s first T20 win in Sharjah after four matches.
After losing the toss, Bangladesh opened with left-handers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez, leaving out the experienced Soumya Sarkar. UAE captain brought on off-spinner Dhruv Parashar early, but Tanzid started aggressively with a four and a six in the first over.
Unfortunately, Tanzid was caught behind on 10 runs from 9 balls, giving 32-year-old debutant Matiullah Khan his first wicket.
Captain Litton Das also fell cheaply for 11, caught off the first ball from pacer Jawadullah.
Meanwhile, Parvez’s six-hitting display had already begun, as he steadily built his innings. After settling in, he struck three sixes and a four off one over from medium pacer Sanchit Sharma, reaching his fifty off just 28 balls by hitting a boundary off Haider Ali.
Towhid Hridoy’s contribution was modest—20 runs off 15 balls—before he was caught off Parashar. New vice-captain Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, promoted to number five, failed to capitalize, scoring just 2.
Parvez’s scoring slowed for a bit, going nearly five overs without a boundary. He broke this by slog-sweeping a six off Zuhaib and continued pushing the score despite lack of support at the other end.
At 84 runs, Parvez appeared caught at long off, but the third umpire ruled the ball was a no-ball. Freed from dismissal, he smashed a four and another six on the free hit, edging closer to his century.
He finally reached his century with a leap of joy on the last ball of the 19th over.
Jaker Ali (13) and Shamim Hossain (6) fell trying to accelerate the innings, and Parvez was dismissed first ball of the final over. Tanzim Hasan made 7 off 9 balls, but Bangladesh finished short of 200 at 191/7.
Match Summary
Bangladesh: 191/7 (20 overs)
- Tanzid Hasan 10 (9), Parvez Hossain Emon 100 (54), Litton Das 11 (8), Towhid Hridoy 20 (15), Mahedi Hasan 2 (5), Jaker Ali 13 (14), Shamim Hossain 6 (5), Tanzim Hasan 7* (9), Tanvir Islam 1* (4)
- Bowlers: Dhruv Parashar 4-0-32-1, Matiullah Khan 4-0-46-1, Haider Ali 4-0-30-0, Muhammad Jawadullah 4-0-21-4, Sanchit Sharma 1-0-18-0, Muhammad Zuhaib 3-0-36-1
UAE: 164 all out (20 overs)
- Muhammad Zohaib 9 (9), Muhammad Waseem 54 (39), Alishan Sharafu 1 (3), Rahul Chopra 35 (22), Asif Khan 42 (21), Dhruv Parashar 3 (7), Sanchit Sharma 4 (5), Muhammad Zuhaib 0 (2), Haider Ali 0 (3), Matiullah Khan 0* (4), Muhammad Jawadullah 6 (5)
- Bowlers: Tanzim Hasan Sakib 4-0-22-2, Mahedi Hasan 4-0-55-2, Hasan Mahmud 4-0-33-3, Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-17-2, Tanvir Islam 4-0-30-1
Result: Bangladesh won by 27 runs.
Series: Bangladesh leads 1-0 in the two-match series.
Player of the Match: Parvez Hossain Emon.
