Bangladesh reached the Super-10 stage of the ICC World Twenty20 as unbeaten Group-A champion beating Oman by a huge margin of 54 runs via D/L method in the rain-marred last qualifying round match at Dharamsala, India on Sunday. Replying to Bangladesh’s 180 for 2, Oman folded their innings on 65 for 9 in curtailed 12 overs. The Tigers will join the five-team Group-2 of the Super-10 stage along with Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand. They will play their opening super-10 match against Pakistan on Wednesday (Mar 16) at the famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In the last five World T20s, Bangladesh successfully reached the 2nd round for two times in 2007 and 2014 while were eliminated from the first round on three occasions in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Replying to Bangladesh’s mammoth total of 180 for 2, Oman scored 41 for 2 in seven overs when the match was halted first due to rain. At that time, Oman were well behind D/L par score against Bangladesh, needing 60 runs in seven overs. After a break of 44 minutes for rain, Oman resumed the innings with a new target of 152 runs in 16 overs, but lost two quick wickets in eight balls leaving team total at 45 for 4 in 8.2 overs when the match was again stopped by rain. Oman resumed the innings again after a short break with a revised target of 120 runs in 12 overs and finished on 65 for 9. Jatinder Singh scored team highest 25 runs off 20 balls, hitting four fours, Adnana Ilyas run-a-ball 13, including two boundaries. Shakib Al Hasan grabbed four wickets for 15 runs while Mashrafe Mortaza, Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin Hossain and Sabbir Rahman took one wicket each. Earlier, Bangladesh, riding on a historic and maiden century by dashing opener Tamim Iqbal, scored their 4th highest T20 total of 180 for 2 in 20 overs against Oman, who invite Bangladesh to bat first after winning the toss. Bangladesh scored 180 for 2 in 20 overs spurred by the 2nd wicket stand of 97 runs off 9.1 overs between Tamim and Sabbir Rahman. The 2nd pair started from 42/1 in 6.5 overs and departed at 139/2 in 16 overs as Sabbir Rahman was bowled out off a Khawar Ali delivery. Tamim’s unbeaten knock of 103 runs off 63 balls, involving 10 boundaries and five sixes, is also the first ton by any Bangladesh cricketer in the T20I format. Later, he was adjudged player of the match for his brilliant knock. In the match, Tamim also reached the landmark of 1000 runs in his 49th T20I matches, hitting a boundary in the 2nd ball of the first over of Ajay Lalcheta. Tamim Iqbal, who needed only 11 runs in the day match to enter the 1000-run club, is the highest run scorer for Bangladesh in the shortest format of cricket. He has now 1092 runs in his bag. Sabbir Rahman fired five boundaries and one six off 26 balls for 44 runs. World famed all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan scored unbeaten 17 off 9 balls with two boundaries and one six. Bangladesh reached the 100-run mark with a single in the 12.5 over. Aamir Kaleem delivered to Sabbir Rahman who pushed the ball with soft hands into the gap at midwicket for the single. Bangladesh lost her first wicket of Soumya Sarkar at 42/1 in 6.5 overs who was bowled out by Ajay Lalcheta scoring 12 off 22 balls, including two boundaries. Bangladesh made a slow start managing only one run in the innings first over delivered by Bilal Khan. Khawar Ali and Ajay Lalcheta took one wicket each for 24 and 35 runs respectively, both bowling three overs apiece. –UNB, Dhaka
