Bangladesh clinches a T20 series victory over Pakistan for first time
Dhaka (Bangladesh), Jul 22 (AP): Jaker Ali struck a fighting half-century as Bangladesh clinched a T20 series victory over Pakistan for the first time with Tuesday's eight-run win.
Jaker anchored the innings with sustained aggression to hit 55 runs off 48 balls with five sixes, helping Bangladesh recover from a shaky start to post 133 before being all out on a sluggish wicket.
Chasing 134, Pakistan's top six batters were out for single digits before Faheem Ashraf waged a lone battle.
He raised his maiden 50 but was out in the next delivery with his 32 ball-51, leaving his team 13 runs away from a series-leveling victory in the last over.
Ahmed Daniyal (17) hit a four in the first ball of the last over to give Pakistan another glimmer of hope before holing out to mid-wicket on the next ball off Mustafizur Rahman as Pakistan was bowled out for 125 in 19.2 overs.
Bangladesh won the first match of the series by seven wickets.
A pre-match minute's silence was held with both teams and officials wearing black armbands for victims of a plane crash in the Bangladesh capital Monday.
Asked to bat first, Bangladesh slumped to 25-4 with debutant Ahmed Danyal (2-23) and Salman Mirza (2-17), playing his second match tormenting the opponents with tight line and length.
Jaker resisted with the support from Mahedi Hasan as the duo added 53 runs for the fifth wicket, giving Bangladesh a platform.
Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz broke the partnership with the wicket of Mahedi who hit 33 off 25, leaving Bangladesh at 81-5 at 14th over.
Jaker then guided the lower order astutely and raised his third fifty from 46 balls, lofting Abbas Afridi for a six over long-on region.
He was dismissed in the last ball of the innings, top-edging a slower delivery of Afridi who ended with 2-37.
Pacers Shoriful Islam (3-17), Tanzim Hasan (2-23) and offspinner Mahedi Hasan (2-25) kept Pakistan at bay, putting a disciplined bowling.
But Pakistan batters played rash shots, much like the first T20 and found them in precarious 30-6 in 10th over with all six batters being out for single digits.
Fahim Ashraf stood tall against a spirited Bangladesh attack, raising the prospect of an unlikely victory with Khushdil Shah (13) and Abbas Afridi (19) giving him little support.
He brought up his maiden fifty from 31 deliveries, hoicking legspinner Rishad Hossain over long on for a six.
However Rishad (1-42) took the sweet revenge in the next delivery by crashing his stump as Pakistan's chance to win the game was dented.
The third and final match is on Thursday.
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Delhi court extends gangster Anmol Bishnoi's NIA custody by 7 days
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court on Friday extended the NIA custody of deported gangster Anmol Bishnoi by seven more days.
Special Judge Prashant Sharma ordered the extension during a hearing conducted at the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) headquarters here amid high security.
The hearing was not conducted at the designated court in the Patiala House courts as the NIA cited a high security risk to Bishnoi because of threats given by Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti.
Sources said the agency sought the extension of Anmol's custody by seven more days on the ground of conducting further probe, which the judge allowed.
Wanted in connection with the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, firing at actor Salman Khan's residence in April 2024, the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, among other crimes, Anmol was "removed" from the United States on November 18.
He was detained in the US in November last year.
After being produced before a special judge in the Patiala House courts on November 18, he was sent to the NIA's custody for 11 days.
On November 29, Anmol, the brother and a close aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was sent for further custodial interrogation till December 5.
Absconding since 2022, US-based Anmol is the 19th accused to be arrested for involvement in the terror-gangster syndicate led by his jailed brother.
