Ireland vs Bangladesh: home team defeated by 39 runs in opening T20I

ISLAMABAD: In the opening match of the Ireland vs Bangladesh three-match T20I series in Dhaka, Ireland set the tone against Bangladesh with a convincing 39-run victory in the first encounter at Dhaka.

Batting first at Dhaka, Ireland posted a formidable 181-4 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to a brilliant innings from Harry Tector. The young batsman remained unbeaten on 69 off 45 balls, anchoring Ireland’s innings with an impressive strike rate of 153.33.

Tim Tector played a quickfire 32 off 19 deliveries, while captain Paul Stirling added 21 runs. Curtis Campher contributed a vital 24, and Lorcan Tucker chipped in with 18 runs. George Dockrell finished the innings with an unbeaten 12 from just 7 balls. Extras accounted for 5 runs, pushing Ireland’s total to a challenging 181.

Bangladesh struggled in response, managing only 142-9 in their 20 overs. Despite some resistance from the middle order, Ireland’s bowlers kept things tight, ensuring regular breakthroughs and never letting Bangladesh build momentum.

The win gives Ireland a 1-0 lead in the series and sends a strong message ahead of the remaining T20 matches. With both teams looking to assert dominance, fans can expect more edge-of-the-seat cricket in the upcoming fixtures.

Ireland XI

The Ireland team included Skipper Pail Stirling, Tim Tector, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry Mc Carthy, Matthew Humphreys and Joshua Little

Bangladesh XI

The Litton Das captained team included Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman Shoriful Islam and the skipper himself.

Meanwhile, in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings released on Nov 25, archrivals India and Pakistan remained in the global spotlight, with India strengthening their position at the top while Pakistan held steady at seventh place.

The newly released ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings shows shows the India’s consistent performances have kept them ahead of Australia, who sit 2nd with 267 rating points.

Pakistan maintained their 7th position with 16692 points from 71 matches, earning a rating of 235. Despite a busy T20I calendar, the Men in Green have struggled to break into the top five but remain within striking distance of West Indies (6th) and South Africa (5th).