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Waseem and UAE make history after acing 206 chase against Bangladesh

Published

11 months ago

2025/05/20

Priyan

Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Zohaib added 107 for the opening wicket

UAE held their nerve in a last-gasp finish in Sharjah, and eventually completed a famous two-wicket win against Bangladesh in the second T20I.

It was a historic effort from the home side to win for the first time against Bangladesh, chasing down 205 runs with a ball to spare. UAE captain Muhammad Waseem’s 82 held the innings together, as he struck nine fours and five sixes from 42 balls.

But it was how UAE reacted after Waseem’s departure, with 58 runs still left in the chase, that spoke of their strength in character. Every player struck at least a six from No. 7 onwards, with Dhruv Parashar keeping his cool in the last over. Haider Ali struck the winning runs off Tanzim Hasan off the penultimate ball. Although it was a free hit, both Haider and Matiullah Khan were in a mix-up. Towhid Hridoy, inexplicably, didn’t throw the ball on the first attempt. By the time Hridoy’s throw came in, Haider had completed the two runs that gave UAE the famous win.

UAE’s chase started with a stroke of luck when Najmul Hossain Shanto couldn’t latch on to a tough chance off Muhammad Zohaib’s outside edge, off the first ball. Waseem, though, took off from where he left off in the first game. He launched Tanvir Islam out of the stadium in the second over. This one didn’t even bounce on the roof, but went straight out of the ground into the trees.

He struck Tanzim over midwicket with a swing of the bat, before slog-sweeping Tanvir in the next over, for his third six. Waseem also took a liking to Rana’s pace, tonking him three time in the ninth over, straight, through the covers and over point. He lifted Rishad over long-on for his fourth six to complete a century opening stand.

UAE lost two wickets in the 11th and 12th overs but Bangladesh couldn’t make it three in a row. Hridoy dropped Waseem, who was batting on 63, in the 13th over. He clattered Tanvir for his fifth six soon afterwards, as he got the chase immediately back on track.

Nahid Rana has made an impressive start in Tests and T20Is so there was hope and hype about his T20I debut. He however couldn’t quite release the ball properly in his first over. He dropped one too short first ball, before bowling a beamer next ball. Both were no-balls, before Zohaib top edged a catch to cover off the free hit.

Rana couldn’t get his bearing right, bowling a big wide down the leg-side next, before Waseem cracked him twice through point for consecutive fours. It could have been a third four but Hridoy stopped a sharp blow at midwicket at the 30-yard line. Nahid went for 18 in his first over.

UAE were still doing well when Asif Khan slammed Tanzim for consecutive sixes in the 14th over. The second was a special shot, a flat blow through the covers. Shorfiul Islam, however, got the better of Waseem in the following over, getting him caught behind with a slower delivery. Jaker took a splendid catch, diving well to his right. Rana, smarting after two expensive overs, hit back with Asif’s wicket. He got the big hitter to slog at a hard length. Rana took the catch off his own bowling, giving Bangladesh a vital edge in the contest.

Rana could have had another wicket but the captain Litton Das, Rishad and Tanzid nearly collided to take Saghir Khan’s catch. The ball went down, before Saghir cracked Rishad for a six over long on. He, however, fell next ball, getting caught at long-off. Aryansh Sharma repeated Saghir’s formula, top-edging Rana for a six before getting caught and bowled one ball later. Shoriful started the penultimate over by removing Alishan Sharafu, giving Bangladesh another boost.

Parashar, however, didn’t get fazed by the wickets at the other end, slamming Shorfiul for a four over mid-on, and six through point. With 17 to win off the last seven balls, Shoriful conceded five overthrows by throwing at the non-striker’s end.

Tanzim started the 12-run defense in the last over with a wide down the leg side. Parashar then posted Tanzim’s full-toss high over long-on for a six, leaving just four needed off the remaining four balls. He however fell next ball, before Matiullah Khan took a single. The decisive moment of the game, arguably, came next ball: Tanzim bowled another full-toss, which was adjudged a no-ball.

Haider managed to squeeze the ball through point and hared back for the second but there was a mix-up with Matiullah. Had Hridoy thrown the ball with the first attempt, the run-out was very much possible as the replays showed that Haider reached the crease just in the nick of time as the throw came in late.

Bangladesh made their best start in seven years when they got 17 runs in the first over of the match. Tanzid slammed Matiullah Khan for a big six off the fourth ball, before hammering two straight boundaries. Then, Litton cracked Dhruv Parashar for consecutive fours too, but Muhammad Jawadullah dropped a sitter off the next ball, when Litton was on ten.

Jawadullah didn’t fare better with the ball shortly afterwards. UAE’s best bowler from the first game, the left-arm quick went for 15 runs in his first over. Tanzid cracked him through the covers first ball, before launching him into the stands over square-leg. Then came the dab past the lone slip. Tanzid eventually completed his fourth T20I fifty with a six off left-arm spinner Haider Ali.

Tanzid however fell in the tenth over when he couldn’t hit it past Matiullah at deep square-leg. Overall, he struck three sixes and eight fours in his 33-ball 59. He helped stitch together an opening stand of 90 with Litton, as Bangladesh eventually made a towering 205 for 5. It wasn’t to be enough.

Brief scores:
UAE 206 for 8 in 19.5 overs (Muhammad Waseem 82, Muhammad Zohaib 38, Asif Khan 19, Alishan Sharafu 13, Druhv Parashar 11, Haider Ali 13*; Shoriful Islam 2-34, Tanvir Islam 1-37, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-55, Nahid Rana 2-50, Rishad Hasan 2-28) beat Bangladesh 205 for 5 in 20 overs (Tanzid Hasan 59, Litton Das 40, Najmul Hossain /shanto 27, Towhid Hridoy 45, Jaker Ali 1; Muhammad Jawadullah 3-45, Saghir Khan 2-36) by two wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Sun directly overhead Dodanduwa, Rathgama, Yakkalamulla, Akuressa, Mulgirigala, Ranna, Kalamatiya and Ussangoda at about 12:13 noon today (05th April)

Published

1 hour ago

2026/04/5

Priyan

On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 05th to 15th of April in this year.

The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (05th) are Dodanduwa, Rathgama, Yakkalamulla, Akuressa, Mulgirigala, Ranna, Kalamatiya and Ussangoda at about 12:13 noon

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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district

Published

2 hours ago

2026/04/5

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 04 April 2026, valid for 05 April 2026

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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Iran executes two convicted members of banned opposition group

Published

17 hours ago

2026/04/4

Priyan

Glenn Torshizi, whose brothers were executed by the Iranian government, joins others in a protest at the US State Department, to highlight the executions in Karaj, Iran, of People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran members, on March 30, 2026, in Washington, DC [Cricinfo]

Iran has executed two men convicted of being members of the banned People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) opposition group, in the latest action targeting dissidents, even as the United States – Israeli war on Iran drags on.

The two were executed on Saturday morning after the country’s Supreme Court upheld earlier sentences that convicted them of PMOI/MEK membership, and “armed rebellion through involvement in multiple terrorist acts”.

“Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian were hanged after trial and their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court,” the Iranian judiciary website, Mizan Online, said on Saturday.

PMOI/MEK had initially supported the 1979 Islamic revolution that unseated the Iranian monarchy. However, in the 1980s, it fell out with the new leadership in Tehran and was designated a “terrorist” organisation. PMOI/MEK has since operated in exile.

Four other convicted members of the group were executed on March 30 and 31. According to information on the PMOI/MEK website, the men were: Mohammad Taghavi, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi.

All six men were arrested and convicted by a Revolutionary Court in late 2024, according to PMOI/MEK.

The group condemned the executions in an April 2 statement, calling Tehran’s actions a “futile” attempt to suppress opposition.

“These brutal executions will not silence the opposition; instead, they will only intensify the resolve of Iran’s rebellious youth to overthrow the regime,” PMOI/MEK said.

Rights groups, too, have criticised the spate of hangings. Activists have long accused Iran of being the second most prolific executioner after China.

In a statement following the first set of hangings on March 31, Amnesty International accused Iranian authorities of torturing the men while they were held in prison and then abruptly transferring them to an unknown location shortly before their executions.

Amnesty further raised fears of more planned executions, including of protesters arrested during mass anti-government demonstrations in January, during which thousands were killed.

“It is unconscionable that even as the population is reeling from conflict and mass bereavement amid the ongoing aerial bombardment by Israel and the USA, the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to weaponize the death penalty to eradicate dissenting voices and further terrify people,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Since the US and Israel’s war on Iran began on February 28, Tehran has executed several people, including Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national convicted on charges of spying for Israel in a case that has drawn outrage from Stockholm and the European Union.

One man convicted of acting on behalf of Israel and the US during the protests was also executed on Thursday.

Earlier, on March 19, four people – Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi, and Saeed Davoudi – arrested in connection with the uprising, were killed.

Amnesty warns that another five young protesters previously sentenced to death could soon be executed after they were moved from the Ghezel Hesar prison to an unidentified location this week.

[Aljazeera]