0.4 OUT! GONE! CAUGHT! Taskin Ahmed draws first blood and provides the first wicket for Bangladesh! 100 T20I WICKETS FOR TASKIN! Goes fuller, outside off, gently shaping away. It lands and then kicks up a bit off the deck as well. Sahibzada Farhan throws his bat by extending his arms wide open, but due to that extra bounce, the ball gets sliced off the blade and goes flat and straight toward Rishad Hossain at point. Rishad takes a fine catch around his waist height. Sahibzada Farhan departs for 4 (4) and Pakistan are 4/1. 4/1

6.3 OUT! TAKEN! Rishad Hossain strikes in his first over now! He flights this one up, full and just on off, Fakhar Zaman goes inside out and looks to loft it over extra covers. However, this one turns in a bit and he ends up hitting it much straighter. Bangladesh have a wide long off in place for this shot, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib moves a bit to his right to take a fine catch. Zaman departs for 13 off 20, and Pakistan are 29/3 now! 29/3

1.4 OUT! GONE! CAUGHT! 4th duck for Saim Ayub in this Asia Cup and the Bangladeshi players are all charged up! Mahedi comes from around the stumps, and dishes out a fuller delivery and lands this in front of the sticks, offering some flight as well. Saim Ayub shapes to slog it over the in-field, but hits off the inner half of the bat. The ball travels straight and flat towards mid on where Rishad Hossain takes a simple catch. Saim Ayub departs for a three-baller and Pakistan are in all sorts of trouble. They are 5/2. 5/2

10.5 OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! An excellent review by the Bangladeshi skipper and Pakistan lose their skipper as well. An off cutter from 'The Fizz', on a good length, slanting away from the batter, around off, and jagging back in a touch as well. Salman Agha plays from the crease and tries to punch it straight, but the ball passes close to the inside edge and it is taken by Jaker Ali behind the stumps. An appeal for caught behind, but not given. Jaker Ali, however, is very confident and straightaway takes the review to challenge the on-field decision. The technology comes up and shows a clear spike on the UltraEdge when the ball is next to the inside edge. The on-field decision is overturned and Salman Agha departs for 19 (23). Pakistan are tottering at 49/5. 49/5

8.1 OUT! TAKEN! You just cannot leave Rishad Hossain out of this game! First two catches, and now two wickets in two overs. He bowls this short and outside off, begging to be put away. Hussain Talat goes after it and tries to cut it away. He connects well but fails to keep it down and hits it straight towards backward point, where Saif Hassan dives forward to take a fantastic catch with the ball dying on him. Pakistan are four down now, and we are not even halfway through the overs. Hussain Talat departs for 3 (7). 33/4

17.3 OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Mahedi Hasan gets his second, and this is a crucial one for Bangladesh at this point of time. This is bowled quicker, full and on leg, following the batter. Mohammad Haris backs away and looks to thump it down the ground but just fails to get the elevation and hits it flat towards the bowler. Mahedi, on his follow-through, shows good reflexes to take a fine return catch to his left. Haris walks back for a valuable 31 off 23, and Pakistan are 109/7! 109/7

13.3 OUT! STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR AND GONE! CAUGHT! The Bangladeshis are pumped up to bits and why not? But Shaheen Afridi is requested to wait by the on-field umpire to check whether ball is above waist height. It is not. Clearly dipping onto the batter. Coming onto the delivery, Taskin slips in an in-dipping full toss, on the leg stump. Shaheen Afridi swivels to pull it over deep square leg, but only manages to get a thick top edge as the bat twists in point of contact. The ball flies over square leg and Jaker Ali screams for the catch, running to his right from behind the stumps. Locks his eyes on the ball, and despite a couple of fielders converging around him, he keeps his calm and takes a fabulous running catch. Shaheen Afridi departs for a breezy 19 (13) and Pakistan further slip down to 71/6 after 13.3 overs. 71/6

18.2 OUT! TAKEN! Bangladesh finally holds on to one! This is a fantastic grab, and Taskin Ahmed has three now. He sees the batter backing away and serves this full, around off, keeping it out of the reach of the batter. Mohammad Nawaz still tries to go after it but only manages to get a top edge as the ball goes high in the air. Parvez Hossain Emon at extra covers backtracks, keeps his eyes on the ball, and takes a superb catch tumbling in the end but holds onto it. Tasking gives a send-off to Nawaz, who departs for a quick cameo of 25 off 15. Pakistan eight down now! 120/8

5.1 OUT! TAKEN! Pakistan are on top and Bangladesh are crumbling under pressure. Haris Rauf picks up his first wicket. On a length, from wide of the crease to create an inward angle, around middle and off. Saif Hassan comes forward and looks to flick it. But the ball straightens a bit and Saif closes his bat face a bit early. Gets a leading edge that flies towards backward point where Saim Ayub snaffles it to his left. Pakistan are pumped up and the in-form batter Saif, who has scored two back-to-back fifties, is gone for 18 (15). 29/3

0.5 OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Shaheen Afridi provides Pakistan with an early success! 22nd time in T20Is that Shaheen has struck in the first over of the game. Afridi goes into the surface, angled into the left-hander, on middle, Parvez hops and lifts his front leg to shovel it behind square on the leg side. There is a bit of extra bounce and a top edge is induced. It gets skied towards deep backward square leg. Mohammad Nawaz moves to his left to settle under the skier and slides at the end to take a safe catch. A two-ball duck for Emon. 1/1

4.2 OUT! CAUGHT! GONE NEXT BALL! Shaheen Afridi strikes again in the Powerplay! Full and pushed across the right-hander, Tawhid sets up deep in the crease and has a wild swipe across the line. Gets a top edge that goes straight up behind backward point. Saim Ayub calls for it and runs over his left shoulder. Ayub settles under it and takes a good catch. 23/2

8 OUT! CAUGHT! Mohammad Nawaz strikes when he finally gets to bowl after two matches, and Mahedi Hasan walks back for 11 (10). Nawaz bowls a drifter, full and around off, Mahedi backs away and tries to access the off side. He attempts a big lofted shot inside out over covers but mistimes it off the toe end of the bat. The ball travels flat towards sweeper cover, where Hussain Talat pouches it low around his waist. Bangladesh are 44/4 after 8 overs and they need 92 runs in the last 72 balls. 44/4

11.4 OUT! CAUGHT! After two dot balls, Sunil Gavaskar on air said that the next delivery would be crucial, and right on cue, Nurul Hasan felt the need to release the pressure. However, he has perished in the attempt. Saim hangs it up there, above the batter's eyeline and keeps it away from the hitting arc. Nurul Hasan backs away initially but ends up giving himself too much room. He has to reach out as he looks to go inside out over extra cover. Ends up hitting it a lot straighter and straight down the throat of long off, where Mohammad Nawaz takes it around his neck. 63/5

16.5 OUT! TAKEN! The last recognised batter, Shamim Hossain, is gone for 30 (25), and again, it is that man, Shaheen Afridi, who has delivered for Pakistan. The road is much tougher for Bangladesh. A slower ball, on a back of a length and outside off, Shamim changes his stance and grip and tries to reverse-scoop it. But gets deceived by the lack of pace on it and plays his shot a bit early. Ends up lobbing it off the toe end of the bat, and the ball goes towards backward point, where Hussain Talat takes this dipping catch around his knee. Bangladesh are 97/7, needing 39 runs more. 97/7

13.5 OUT! CAUGHT! Rinse and repeat of the Nurul Hasan dismissal! Jaker shows his cards early as he backs away to go through the off side. Saim spots it and serves the carrom ball, full and outside off. Ali reaches out and ends up slicing it in the air in front of long off as the bottom hand comes off the bat handle. Mohammad Nawaz runs in off the ropes and takes the catch close to his chest. A big blow to Bangladesh as the skipper departs. 73/6

17.2 OUT! CLEANED HIM UP! Haris Rauf has bagged his second, and this is an inspiring effort while struggling with cramps. He bowls a slower delivery, on a hard length and keeps the line around the off stump. Tanzim Hasan Sakib backs away a touch, gets down on one knee, and throws his hands at it to drag it. But gets deceived by the lack of pace on it. The ball beats the outside edge of the bat and crashes into the top of the off stump. 97/8

17.4 OUT! BOWLED'EM! Bangladesh are nine down and Pakistan are just one away from a big victory and making it to the final of the Asia Cup 2025. On a length and around middle, with pace on this time. Taskin Ahmed backs away and extends his arms to reach out, but misses. The ball sneaks under the blade and rattles the middle stump. 101/9