Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets to reach Asian Games final

Bangladesh struggle after early wickets

Bangladesh struggled after losing several key batters early in the innings. Tanzid Hasan was dismissed for seven before captain Litton Das departed for two.

Parvez Hossain Emon also fell cheaply, leaving Bangladesh at 21 for three in the early stages of the innings. Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy then tried to rebuild the innings.

Saif scored 19 from 17 balls before Sufyan Muqeem dismissed him, leaving Bangladesh at 45 for four. Hridoy remained at the crease and played the key innings for Bangladesh.

Hridoy leads Bangladesh's recovery

Towhid Hridoy top-scored for Bangladesh with 42 runs from 25 balls.

His innings included two fours and four sixes as he attacked the Pakistani bowlers and helped Bangladesh move beyond the 100-run mark. Hridoy found support from Mosaddek Hossain, who scored 11 runs.

However, Muqeem struck again towards the end of the innings, and Bangladesh could not produce a bigger finish. Bangladesh ended their 13 overs at 111 for seven.

Muqeem and Minhas lead Pakistan attack

Sufyan Muqeem was Pakistan’s leading bowler, taking three wickets for 26 runs from his three overs. Arafat Minhas also played an important role, claiming two wickets for 23 runs.

Saim Ayub added another key contribution with the ball, conceding only three runs from his two overs and taking the wicket of Litton Das. Pakistan’s bowling attack regularly broke Bangladesh’s momentum and prevented them from setting a larger target.

Pakistan face early trouble in chase

Pakistan also found themselves under pressure during the run chase. The team lost wickets regularly and slipped to 53 for four, allowing Bangladesh to take control of the semifinal.

With the required target still within reach, Pakistan needed a steady partnership to avoid further problems. Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad then changed the direction of the match.

Samad and Nawaz turn the game around

Abdul Samad produced a quick unbeaten innings of 30 from 15 balls.

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Hasan Nawaz also remained unbeaten on 27 from 22 balls.

The pair added an unbeaten 59-run partnership for the fifth wicket to take Pakistan from a difficult position to victory.

Samad provided the biggest burst of scoring during the partnership, helping Pakistan move rapidly towards the target. Pakistan reached 112 for four in 11.3 overs, winning with nine balls remaining.

Saim Ayub adds useful runs

Before the late partnership, Saim Ayub had also contributed to Pakistan’s chase. He scored 21 runs from 12 balls, helping Pakistan maintain the required scoring rate during the shortened contest.

Although Bangladesh took four wickets, Pakistan’s lower-order recovery proved decisive. The combination of Ayub’s quick contribution and the unbeaten partnership between Samad and Nawaz allowed Pakistan to finish the chase comfortably.

Rain changes the semifinal

Rain had already affected the Asian Games cricket competition before the semifinal. Pakistan had reached the last four after their quarterfinal against Hong Kong was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of persistent rain.

Pakistan progressed based on their higher ICC ranking under the tournament’s playing conditions. The semifinal itself was also affected by wet conditions, forcing officials to reduce the contest to 13 overs per side. Despite the shortened match, both teams had an opportunity to reach the final.