Live - Litton's Bangladesh need 144 to win against Hong Kong

Litton finally gets some fours off his bats, both past the keeper in the 14th over, deflating Hong Kong and Ayush Shukla.

He moves to 36 in 28 balls as Bangladesh take 12 off the over. Bangladesh 112/2 in 14 overs, bringing the required run-rate down to 5.33.

Once upon a time, there was a joke in New Zealand cricket how they win games courtesy ones and Twose (courtesy Roger Twose in the middle order).

Looks like it can be applied to Bangladesh tonight too, minus the pun. Litton and Hridoy have hit just three boundaries in the 49 balls they've spent together so far but have run 12 twos so far amid a whole lotta singles too.

That ensures Bangladesh have crossed triple digits after 13 overs.

But as long as Bangladesh have the wickets in hand, they'll be ahead in this contest with the required run-rate still only about six.

Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh's Nos. 3 and 4, have kept the scoreboard ticking but the asking rate is slowly creeping up.

Yasim Murtaza and Aizaz Khan have bowled in good areas, and the fielding in the outfield has been spunky too, stopping some shots that on another day would've gone for a boundary.

Bangladesh score only four runs apiece in the eighth, ninth and tenth overs. An eight-run over in the 11th takes Bangladesh to 82 for 2 in 11 overs.

ESPNcricinfo's forecaster still has Bangladesh as 84% favourites.

As we said in the last post, Hong Kong dropped four catches in the last game, some of them dollies. But today they've been tuned in, and now it's a second catch taken in tough circumstances that's sent Tanzid Hasan packing for an 18-ball 14.

The left-hander tried to chip medium-pacer Ateeq Iqbal over mid-off but the fielder - Nizakat - tracks the ball going over his shoulder and plucks the ball out and into his grasp.

Both openers gone. Bangladesh 51/2 in 6 overs. Their only positive is their run-rate of 8.50, helped by Emon's early burst and some unforced extras (11 so far) from HK.

With two fours and a six in his first 13 balls, Parvez Hossain Emon was looking to play just one way. But Ayush Shukla, from around the wicket, varies his pace, and Emon loses his shape trying to go for another big shot.

Holes out at deep midwicket and Shukla gives out a big roar. Hong Kong dropped four catches against Afghanistan but have started well in the field tonight.

Emon out for 19. Bangladesh 24/1 in three overs.

Hong Kong mustered a total of 143 for 7 in 20 overs against Bangladesh after being inserted by Litton Das at the toss. They started slowly, with a combination of early wickets and a sluggish start for Zeeshan Ali (30) and Nizakat Khan (42) keeping Bangladesh in control of proceedings.

But as the Zeeshan-Nizakat partnership grew, so did their range of strokes, and their 41-run stand for the third wicket ensured their batting didn't collapse like in the game against Afghanistan. Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza blazed to a 19-ball 28 to fix their run-rate woes, but a flurry of late wickets left Hong Kong without the late flourish they desired.

As Bangladesh's players walked off the field, they exchanged high-fives for their effort in the first innings. Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2 for 21) bowled in the early 140s in his first spell, and accounted for Babar Hayat (14) and Zeeshan. Hayat was cleaned up by a swinging ball that started on middle and ended up going past his outside edge while Zeeshan fell to a sharp delivery that hit the splice of the bat and popped up to cover.

Taskin Ahmed, although expensive in his four-over spell of 2 for 38, got the early breakthrough by dismissing Anshy Rath, caught-behind. He then removed Aizaz Khan in the final over.

Rishad Hossain, the legspinner, was introduced after the powerplay, but Hong Kong were comfortable in playing him by sweeping, reverse sweeping and seeing his danger out. He finally got among the wickets in 19th over, his last over of the evening, by getting Nizakat caught at long on and Kinchit Shah lbw next delivery.

Hong Kong scored 54 runs off the last six overs to get to a respectable total. But the lone double-digit over between overs 3 to 13 meant they could never really get on top of Bangladesh.

Wicketless for the first three overs, Rishad finally gets two in his final over.

Firstly, it's a bold call by Litton to make him bowl the penultimate over but it pays off despite conceding a six, hit by Nizakat.

Rishad then dismisses the batter for 42 off 40 balls and then trabs Kinchit lbw next delivery. Hong Kong 134/6 in 19 overs.

A mix-up to start the 18th over. Nizakat's yes-no-yes-no leaves Yasim stranded and the big-hitting captain must walk back distraught. Rishad with a solid throw on the stumps. Mustafizur does the rest. He falls for a 19-ball 28, and that's three run-outs for Hong Kong in the tournament now.

It took Nizakat 32 balls to finally get a boundary, but he does so in the 17th over by making room and slicing a four to deep third. Is that the start of a change in his fortunes?

Taskin has been a shade expensive tonight as Murtaza also cracks him for another four. Hong Kong's run-rate creeps up towards 7. Hong Kong 117/3 in 17 overs

Hong Kong needed some impetus. They were desperate for some big shots. And it's the captain who has made a fabulous start. Pulls Tanzim over square leg. Smacks Mahedi over long on. And he's reached 20 in 12 balls!

Not just that, it helps bring up Hong Kong's century in 14.5 overs.

Now Hong Kong need the guns firing from both ends (Nizakat is still only on 21 after facing 27 balls).

Mustafizur has two overs left in the last five overs so he won't be easy to get away.

Sakib's speed hasn't dropped. Neither has his intensity. Litton brought him back after the batters were getting comfortable against the spinners, and he has got the breakthrough by getting a ball to rush onto Zeeshan.

Spliced towards cover and Mustafizur takes a nice running catch tracking the ball over his shoulder.

He falls for a 34-ball 30 and that brings in HK captain Yasim Murtaza. It takes the captain five balls to get off the mark, but does so in style but smacking Rishad Hossain for four down the ground. Hong Kong 78/3 in 13 overs.

Meanwhile, our panelists on ESPNcricinfo's TimeOut discuss whether Bangladesh need more consistency in selection. Let's see what they do as the tourney progresses.

Zeeshan Ali has put his dancing shoes on since the last post about his slow strike-rate. Two fours and a six off the spinners across the next few overs has pushed his own score to 24 (28 balls) while Hong Kong's run rate has gone to 6.40.

Now time for Nizakat Khan to up his own rate. He's on 12 in 16 balls. A promising partnership is brewing.

In eight overs, Zeeshan Ali has batted 22 balls but scored only eight runs. None of them have been boundaries. He's been awfully quiet because traditionally his T20I strike-rate is 141.

Can he break through the rut? That's one reason why Hong Kong have a run-rate of only 5.62 after eight overs. Their score is 45/2.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib's first over, the game's third, averages in the low 140kphs. He gets balls to whizz past the edge and also nearly forces a run-out.

But it's in the fifth over that he brings out the money ball. A full-pitched delivery that swings from middle to off and rattles Babar Hayat's stumps for 14 runs. Hayat, incidentally, is one of two Hong Kong players in this XI to have beaten Bangladesh before at the 2014 T20 World Cup.

Mustfafizur closes out the powerplay with a tidy over. Hong Kong 34/2 in six overs.

Rishad Hossain, legspinner, begins the post-powerplay period.

Bangladesh have been developing some good seamers over the last few seasons. And have gone with three tonight - Mustafizur, Taskin and Tanzim - but they start with Mahedi Hasan's offspin for the first over. It's a breezy evening, and the offspinner gets some drift with the new ball.

The third ball sees Zeeshan attempt a reverse sweep, and the ball hits him on the pad. Even though the umpire is not interested, Mahedi wants his captain to use technology, and it's awfully close. Zeeshan survives on umpire's call...It's an over full of variations - on pace, on flight, and on turn - and Hong Kong collect only two runs.

Taskin Ahmed shares the new ball to start the second over, but uh-oh, he begins his spell by overstepping. The free-hit is thumped through the off-side, piercing the 16m gap between cover and point, but Taskin returns with a beauty - full on off stump and angling slightly away with Rath looking for a straight drive. They appeal for caught-behind, which is not given, but Bangladesh are confident that's an edge.

Indeed it is, and Taskin gets the breakthrough with some help from technology. Rath out, caught behind, for the second game in a row. Hong Kong 7/1 in 1.3 overs

Toss Bangladesh opt to bowl vs Hong Kong

Bangladesh captain Litton Das said his team would like to bowl first in their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong. He said he decided to bowl since it's the team's first game and they are not totally aware of the pitch conditions.

Litton confirmed Bangladesh would play three seamers, two spinners and six batters. He said with Afghanistan and Sri Lanka also in their group, no match is a warm-up, and wanted to make impact right from the first game.

Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza was happy despite losing the toss because he wanted to bat first anyway. Murtaza said the batters made some mistakes against Afghanistan and wouldn't want to repeat them. There were no changes to the Hong Kong side, with Murtaza backing the same XI to come good tonight.

The pitch report suggests a dry surface with some cracks opening up but remains run friendly. The shorter boundary on one side of the ground could decide what shot-options batters take.

One losing record promises to come to an end tonight. Bangladesh have never won a T20I in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong are yet to win an Asia Cup match.

Bangladesh XI: Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Litton Das (capt & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.

Hong Kong XI: Zeeshan Ali (wk), Anshy Rath, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Kalhan Challu, Kinchit Shah, Yasim Murtaza (capt), Aizaz Khan, Ayush Shukla, Ateeq Iqbal, Ehsan Khan

For nearly two decades, Bangladesh were the team least likely to clear the ropes: from 2006 to 2023 they managed just 3.81 sixes per T20I innings, the lowest among Full Members. Then something clicked, started partly by a churn of new players in the system as some seniors retired along with the addition of big-hitting coach Julian Wood.

In 2024, the average jumped to 5.08, and in 2025 it has soared to 7.73. After years of playing it safe, this burst of big-hitting is a statement of intent, and just in time for the 2025 Asia Cup. Bangladesh haven’t made a final since 2018 and have never lifted the trophy; now they’re trying to muscle their way there.

Openers Tanzid Hasan (24) and Parvez Hossain (23), along with middle-order hitters Jaker Ali (27) and Shamim Hossain (24), are swinging harder and smarter. Between 2021 and 2023, Bangladesh cleared the boundary once every 9.5 balls in T20Is. In 2024–25, it’s once every 5.58 balls. A staggering jump.

The payoff is showing up now. In the last two years, their average of 6.10 sixes per innings and a ball-per-six ratio of 18.56 put them ahead of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Ireland and Zimbabwe. The sixes have nudged up their overall scoring too. Between 2021 and 2023 they crawled along at 7.20 runs per over, the slowest among Full Members. Now it’s up to 7.81. Still not elite, but for Bangladesh, it’s a sign the handbrake is finally coming off.