Bangladesh has won 17 series out of the 52 in T20I since 2007. Most recently, the Tigers defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the series at home. After winning the first two matches, the hosts struggled in the third game against Pakistan, losing by a significant margin. Nevertheless, the series was a success. The tigers feel rejuvenated in T20Is ahead of the Asia Cup and World Cup.
This marks two consecutive T20I series wins against major teams for Bangladesh. The Tigers recently returned home after winning the series 2-1 in Sri Lanka. Immediately upon their return, they faced Pakistan. Litton, Emon, and Taskin were able to bring their Sri Lanka form home. As a result, the hosts won the first two matches. In the third match, Litton’s side had to pay the price of five changes. They lost the match by 74 runs.
Last November, Bangladesh defeated the West Indies 3-0 on their home ground. Following this, there was a dip in form. After suffering five consecutive losses on the tour of the UAE and Pakistan in May, Litton Das’ team also lost the first match of the series on the tour of Sri Lanka. After six consecutive defeats, the team finally bounced back, winning the last two matches in Sri Lanka. This achievement marked Bangladesh’s first-ever series victory in any format in Sri Lanka. With that memory still fresh, they defeated cricket powerhouse Pakistan on home ground.
Bangladesh had previously won a one-match T20I series against Pakistan in Dhaka in 2015. Since then, this is the first time the Tigers have won a series against Pakistan. This also marks the first time the Tigers have defeated Pakistan in a three-match series.
Hasibul Hossain Shanto, former fast bowler for the Bangladesh national team, stated that two series wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan will motivate the Bangladesh team for the Asia Cup in September and the T20I World Cup next year, given that both were strong opponents. He highlighted the series win in Sri Lanka as more significant. The BCB’s age-group cricket selector also expressed concern about the consistency of the current players. In his words, “The problem is that they play well in one match and then perform poorly in the next. The players need to be consistent.”
He also emphasized the fitness of senior players. Shanto remarked, “I think if all the senior players are fit, Bangladesh will have a chance to do well in the Asia Cup and World Cup.”
Captain Litton Das echoed this sentiment, attributing the two consecutive series wins to having all the senior players available. After defeating Pakistan, Litton said, “We were in trouble in the UAE and Pakistan. I didn’t have my best players in those two series. Taskin Ahmed wasn’t there, and Mustafizur Rahman went to play in the IPL. We know Mustafizur’s ability and how dangerous he is for opponents. We also missed some other players during the Pakistan tour. And those who were there couldn’t perform at their best. I believe that in these two series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, we had our full setup. If everyone stays fit, we must continue to play this way.”
Bangladesh recorded its first T20I match and series win in 2006, defeating Zimbabwe by 43 runs in a one-match T20I series in Khulna. After losing four consecutive series to Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies, and New Zealand, they defeated the West Indies in a one-match series in 2011.
Bangladesh lost or drew in the next eight series after defeating Scotland in 2012. Bangladesh defeated Pakistan in a single match in Mirpur in 2015. Following that, there was another long break of eight series. Among them is the shame of losing the series 3-0 to Afghanistan in Dehradun, India, in 2018. In 2018, Bangladesh defeated the West Indies in a series played in the West Indies and the USA, although the Tigers lost the return home series in the same year. Subsequently, in 2020 and 2021, they defeated Zimbabwe, and in 2021, they beat Australia and New Zealand in a home series. Bangladesh won 2-0 in the United Arab Emirates in 2022. The Tigers had an unforgettable year in 2023 in T20Is. This year, they defeated England 3-0, Ireland 2-1, and Afghanistan 2-0 in the home series. Before the 2024 T20 World Cup, Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe 4-1 in the home series, but immediately after that, they were embarrassed by a 1-2 series loss in the United States. After the World Cup, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team went on a tour of India and was whitewashed 3-0. After that, the Tigers won three of the five series they played. Bangladesh has won 76 out of 194 matches in the T20 format.
Now, let’s take a look at the breakdown of Bangladesh's T20I wins against different opponents. Bangladesh has won 17 out of 25 matches against Zimbabwe, 8 out of 20 matches against Sri Lanka, 8 out of 19 matches against West Indies, 5 out of 12 matches against Afghanistan, 5 out of 8 matches against Ireland, 5 out of 25 matches against Pakistan, 4 out of 11 matches against Australia, 4 out of 5 matches against the Netherlands, 4 out of 20 matches against New Zealand, 4 out of 6 matches against the United Arab Emirates, 3 out of 4 matches against England, 2 out of 2 matches against Nepal, 2 out of 2 matches against Oman, 1 out of 17 matches against India, 1 out of 1 match against Kenya, and 1 out of 3 matches against the United States. Bangladesh is without a win in 9 matches against South Africa.