Captain Liton Das produced a match-winning knock as Bangladesh defeated Ireland by four wickets on Saturday to level the three-match Twenty20 series. His fluent 57 off 37 deliveries helped Bangladesh successfully chase down Ireland’s competitive total of 170-6, finishing at 174-6 with just two balls left. The series now heads into a decider on Tuesday.
Bangladesh suffered an early setback when opener Tanzid Hasan fell cheaply, but Liton and Parvez Hossain quickly steadied the innings. The pair built a strong 60-run partnership, with Parvez contributing an aggressive 43 before he was dismissed attempting a reverse sweep.
Liton continued to anchor the chase and brought up his 20th T20 half-century in emphatic fashion, slog-sweeping left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys over long-on for six off his 34th ball. He soon found support from Saif Hasan, who added 22 valuable runs.
However, the momentum shifted when Liton departed, triggering a sudden collapse. Bangladesh lost four wickets for just 19 runs in a span of 20 balls, creating tension in the final overs.
Mohammad Saifuddin then stepped up and eased pressure immediately, smashing a six off the first ball he faced. His quickfire 17 not out from just seven deliveries ensured Bangladesh crossed the finish line with two balls remaining.
Earlier, Ireland posted 170-6, guided by Lorcan Tucker’s composed 41 off 32 and Tim Tector’s 38 off 25. After winning the toss, captain Paul Stirling gave Ireland a flying start with a rapid 29 off 14 balls, helping the visitors race to 75 in the first six overs.
Bangladesh fought back strongly after Stirling fell to pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Off-spinner Mahedi Hasan turned the game with a fiery spell, removing both Tector brothers and Ben Calitz in quick succession. His figures of 3-25 pulled Ireland back to 103-4 by the 11th over, preventing them from posting an even bigger total.
With the series now tied, both teams will face off in the deciding T20 on Tuesday.