India wins their seventh Asia Cup title beating Bangladesh by 3 wickets

India beat Bangladesh by three wickets in the final match of the 2018 Asia Cup at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday (September 28). With this triumph, the ‘Men in Blue’ snatched the trophy for the seventh time in 14 events. It was bad luck for team Bangladesh. They reached the Asia Cup final third time in the last four seasons and each time handed a defeat by a narrow margin.

India’s stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma, won the toss and invited Bangladesh to bat first. Riding on Liton Das’ maiden ODI century, the Tigers scored 222 runs losing all wickets in 48.3 overs. The right-handed batsman scored 121 runs off 117 balls. In his innings, he hit 12 fours and two sixes. He made open with Mehidy Hasan Miraz who scored 32 runs before being run out. The opening pair made a 120-run partnership. However, apart from these two players, only Soumya Sarkar could reach the double figure as he scored 33 runs. Because of the poor performances of the middle-order batsmen including Mushfiqur Rahim, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah- the ‘Men in Green and Red’ failed to set a competitive score to defend. Another fact that went against Bangladesh is that they suffered three run outs. 

For India, Kuldeep Yadav claimed three wickets while Kedar Jadhav took two wickets. Both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah took one wicket each.

In reply, India reached the target in the last ball of their innings. For India, Rohit Sharma scored the highest run of 48 runs from 55 balls. Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni played useful innings of 37 and 36 runs respectively. Kedar Jadhav and Kuldeep Yadav remained not out on 23 and 5 and led their team to a thrilling three-wicket win.

For Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain took two wickets each while Nazmul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahmudullah equally shared three wickets.

Scorecard- http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8532/scorecard/1153255/bangladesh-vs-india-final-asia-cup-2018-19

Source- https://en.prothomalo.com/sports/news/184142/Tigers-make-222-despite-Liton-ton

Bangladesh beats Sri Lanka by 137 run in the Asia Cup opener

Bangladesh cricket team started their Asia Cup campaign with an amazing 137-run win over Sri Lanka on Saturday (September 15) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

Winning the toss, Bangladesh ODI skipper, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, decided to bat first. Tigers could manage to score 261 runs losing all wickets in 49.3 overs. Mushfiqur Rahim played his career best innings of 150-ball 144, including 11 fours and 4 sixes. It was his sixth ODI century. However, on his way to scoring ODI hundred, he got two lives on 10 and 85. He along with Mohammad Mithun shared a 131-run partnership for the third-wicket stand. Mohammad Mithun scored his maiden ODI fifty. He scored 63 from 68 balls. 

Despite Mushfiqur scoring century, Tamim Iqbal got the maximum media publicity. Photos and videos of this southpaw batting with one hand spread across the social media. His wrist was hit by a delivery from Suranga Lakmal, forcing him to retire hurt. After the departure of Mustafizur in the 47^th over, he came to bat with one hand, allowing Mushfiqur to score as many runs as possible and make his highest ODI score before he was caught on the boundary with three balls left in the innings. He scored 2 runs facing four balls and remained unbeaten.

Lasith Malinga finished with an impressive bowling figure of 4-23 in 10 overs. With this match, the 35-year-old fast bowler made his return to ODI cricket from retirement. He played his last ODI in September last year. Suranga Lakmal, Amila Aponso and Thisara Perera took one wicket each.

In reply, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 124 in 35.2 overs, Dilruwan Perera top scoring with 29 runs. Apart from him, two other players reached 20 for Angelo Mathews’ side. It was Bangladesh’s seventh win in 45 ODI matches against Sri Lanka.

For Bangladesh, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took two wickets apiece while Shakib Al Hasan, Rubel Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain equally shared three wickets.

Scorecard link- http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8532/scorecard/1153243/bangladesh-vs-sri-lanka-1st-match-group-b-asia-cup-2018-19

Source- https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/cricket/2018/09/15/bangladesh-to-bat-first-against-sri-lanka-in-asia-cup-opener

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/45536128

Unilever is the new sponsor of Bangladesh Cricket

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) fell in a big trouble after Robi Axiata Limited, a telecommunications company, terminated its contract with the cricket’s governing body prior the stipulated time. Robi’s second time two-year contract was supposed to be extended till the 2019 World Cup. However, BCB did not have to wait for a long time as they got a new title sponsor for the national cricket team within 11 days after the telecom giant brought an end to its deal. 

Unilever Bangladesh Limited, a prominent consumer goods company based in Dhaka, has become the new sponsor of the Bangladesh cricket team. This sponsorship deal was signed on Thursday (September 6) by BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury and Unilever Bangladesh’s Finance Director Zahidul Islam Malita on behalf of their respective sides at BCB Management Office at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka.

Unilever’s journey with the national cricket team will start with the 2018 Asia Cup beginning from September 15 and will continue till January 2020. As per the agreement, logo of its product, Lifebuoy, will be shown on their jerseys. Because of this deal, the Bangladesh women’s cricket team, Bangladesh A team and the Bangladesh U-19 team will also have to carry the company’s logo.

Source- https://www.daily-sun.com/post/334214/2018/09/06/Unilever-becomes-Bangladesh-cricket-team-sponsor

https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/cricket/2018/09/06/unilever-becomes-tigers-new-sponsor

Sabbir Rahman might face six-month international cricket ban

Sabbir Rahman, the bad boy of Bangladesh cricket, has once again got media coverage for indiscipline rather than his performance on the field. The 26-year-old hard-hitting batsman is likely to face a big punishment for his recent troubles. After a hearing with the player at the BCB office in Mirpur's Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, the BCB disciplinary committee has suggested the board a six-month ban for the cricketer from international cricket.

If the proposal is approved by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan then Sabbir Rahman will be suspended from international cricket till February next year. As a result, he cannot play in the home series against Zimbabwe and West Indies, and the New Zealand series in February and March. Because of his recent troubles, he could not make his place in the Bangladesh ODI team announced for the Asia Cup 2018.

It is not the first time he is facing such kind of punishment. Earlier in January this year he was fined Tk 2 million and banned from domestic cricket for six months after he was found guilty of beating up a fan during a first-class game. For this reason, his central contract was also stripped off. However, the disciplinary committee has warned him of being careful in future and if any more complaints come against him, the authority might hand him long-term ban.

It is also heard that Sabbir allegedly got involved in a fighting with Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the dressing room during the T20I series against Afghanistan in Dehradun, India in April. He even took to social media to abuse his supporters who mocked him after his poor performance in the second ODI against the West Indies, though the player denied this claim saying that his Facebook account was hacked.

Apart from Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain was also called for hearing on the same day. The 22-year-old middle-order batsman was accused of driving his wife out of home demanding Tk 1 million in dowry. He, however, said to the media that he divorced her recently. The board also warned Mosaddek of being careful in the future but did not take any disciplinary action against him as his case is being dealt with at the court.

From promising cricketer, Sabbir Rahman has turned himself as a problem child for the board in the recent and distant past. It looks like stardom has led him to the destruction. Getting huge and sudden publicity, he has forgotten his past. BCB officials should handle this issue strictly before it gets deteriorated.