Bangladesh Take Winning Momentum into T20I Series Against Pakistan, Eyes on Tanzid and Haris

Bangladesh will look to carry forward their newfound momentum when they take on Pakistan in a three-match T20I series starting Sunday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Buoyed by a historic series win over Sri Lanka, the hosts are hoping to overcome their long-standing T20I struggles against Pakistan, who hold a dominant 19-3 head-to-head record.

Despite being labeled underdogs, Bangladesh have reason to be optimistic. Their recent success in Sri Lanka — their first-ever T20I series win against the island nation — has sparked renewed confidence in the team. Two of Bangladesh's three T20I victories against Pakistan have come at this very venue, with the third in Hangzhou during the 2023 Asian Games.

Recent Form and Selection

Bangladesh will field an unchanged squad from the Sri Lanka series, with in-form players like Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, and Shamim Hossain leading the batting charge. Tanzid was the standout performer in the third T20I against Sri Lanka, smashing an unbeaten 73, including six towering sixes. With the ball, Mustafizur Rahman, Rishad Hossain, and Mahedi Hasan have stepped up recently.

Meanwhile, Pakistan arrive as favorites following a clean sweep over Bangladesh in Lahore earlier this year. They will be without key players Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali, but will bank on the depth and aggressive intent of their batting line-up. Mohammad Haris, who struck a blistering century in the last T20I between these sides, will be one to watch. He is joined by aggressive top-order players like Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Fakhar Zaman.

Pakistan could hand a debut to rookie pacer Salman Mirza, with Hussain Talat also in line for a spot in the XI. Skipper Salman Agha and coach Mike Hesson have emphasized a power-packed start in the powerplay, aligning with the modern T20 approach.

Possible XIs

Bangladesh (probable):
Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (capt & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman

Pakistan (probable):
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt), Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed

Pitch and Conditions

The Mirpur pitch could be a game-changer. While the venue tends to produce scores around 150 in night games during the Bangladesh Premier League, T20Is here are usually low-scoring, often around 125. Weather could also play a role, with rain forecast for Sunday’s series opener.

In the Spotlight

Tanzid Hasan has been a revelation in the Bangladesh top order. His aggressive stroke play, highlighted by a 73* in Colombo, has brought much-needed spark to the batting unit. He’s also the fastest Bangladeshi to reach five T20I fifties, doing so in just 27 matches.

Mohammad Haris, on the other hand, made history in June by becoming the first Pakistani non-opener to score a T20I hundred. His familiarity with Mirpur conditions — thanks to recent BPL stints — makes him a serious threat.

Stats and Trivia

Mahedi Hasan leads all T20I spinners in powerplay wickets since January 2021, with 30 scalps at a strike rate of 15.90.
This is only the third time T20Is are being played in Bangladesh in July — previous instances were in 2015 and 2023.
In Pakistan’s last T20I series against Bangladesh, only two batters — Farhan and Haris — faced more than 40 balls in an innings.

What They Said

Salman Agha, Pakistan captain:
"The two uncapped players are very exciting. Both are fast bowlers, and I'm very excited to see them in action. They bring something fresh to the squad."

With Pakistan looking to assert their dominance and Bangladesh hoping to continue their rise, the Mirpur series promises to be more competitive than the head-to-head record suggests.