Hasan Ali bags five as Pakistan blow Bangladesh away in first T20I

Hasan Ali bagged career-best figures of 5 for 30 in his first T20I in a year and Shadab Khan produced a strong all-round performance as Pakistan eased past Bangladesh in the series opener in Lahore on Wednesday.

After captain Salman Agha, who top-scored for Pakistan with 56 off 34 balls, and Shadab, who scored 48 off 25 balls, lifted Pakistan to 201, Hasan led their defence. After removing the Bangladesh openers with the new ball, Hasan returned to dismiss the dangerous Jaker Ali, Tanzim Hasan and Shoriful Islam.

Litton Das top-scored for Bangladesh with 48 and Jaker hit 36 off 21 balls lower down the order, but it was not enough to stop Pakistan from claiming a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The sight of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman walking out to open for Pakistan must have been soothing for their fans. But both the openers were back within two overs. Ayub, in his return for Pakistan from an ankle injury suffered in South Africa last year, got out first ball. He closed the face of his bat too early, offering a return catch to Mahedi Hasan. Shoriful then removed Fakhar next over, darting an inswinger back into the pads. Shoriful became the fourth Bangladesh bowler to take 50 wickets in T20Is.

Mohammad Haris, however, brought Shoriful down to earth with three boundaries in a row, as the left-arm fast bowler went for 16 in the fourth over. Salman hit Mahedi for three fours in the next over, too, to help Pakistan cross fifty in the powerplay. Haris, though, fell in the seventh over for 31 off 18 balls.

Despite the departure of Haris, Salman kept going for Pakistan. He struck Tanzim and Rishad Hossain for boundaries, before Hassan Nawaz, fresh from his PSL 2025 heroics, bashed Rishad for his first six. Salman mixed his big-hitting with delicate shots, like scoops and late cuts, as Pakistan's run rate got a big boost.

In the tenth over, Salman flicked Tanzim for a six, before pasting him through point and then dabbing him past the keeper. Nawaz, meanwhile, kept the pressure on Bangladesh with a pair of sixes off Rishad and Hasan Mahmud, before the latter removed Salman with a dipping full toss. It ended a 65-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Nawaz batted on for Pakistan, smashing Rishad for a six over extra-cover, followed by two more fours. The second four was a chance, but Parvez Hossain Emon ended up dropping a sitter at long-on and parrying the ball into the boundary. Nawaz, however, fell next ball, caught and bowled by Rishad, for 44 off 22 balls.

Pakistan went 18 balls without a boundary after Nawaz's dismissal. Shamim Hossain was the surprise package with his part-time offbreaks; he dismissed Khushdil Shah in the 17th over for his maiden T20I cricket.

Shadab, though, went after Rishad in the 18th, taking him for a sequence of 6, 6, 4. Faheem Ashraf launched Shamim over midwicket in the penultimate over before Shadab struck two more fours off Shoriful in the last over. Shadab's hits were vital to Pakistan crossing 200.

Hasan struck his first blow when he had Parvez caught at mid-on for 4 in his first over. In his next over, Tanzid took him for a brace of fours, but the fast bowler hit back to knock him over with a knuckle ball.

When Hasan returned to the attack in the 18th over, Bangladesh were 141 for 6, still needing 61 off 18 balls. Jaker was on 30 off 18 balls at that point, with his big-hitting offering Bangladesh hope. Hasan conceded a six with his first legal ball in his second spell, but bounced Jaker out next ball for 36 off 20 balls. In the same over, he had Tanzim caught and bowled for 1.

In the final over, Hasan completed his five-for and dismissed Bangladesh for 164.

Litton and Towhid Hridoy had added 63 for the third wicket, but they didn't find the tempo that could have hurt Pakistan. Hridoy managed only 17 off 22 balls, with just one four. It was his slowest knock in a T20I in which he has faced at least 20 balls.

His captain also had a slow start - Litton was on 11 off 12 balls at one point - but a four off Shadab saw him break free in the eighth over. Litton went on to hit three sixes before Shadab had the last laugh, having him caught at backward point. Litton's dismissal precipitated Bangladesh's slide.