Alishan Sharafu shines as UAE seal historic T20I series win over Bangladesh

Alishan Sharafu’s unbeaten 68-run knock and Haider Ali’s brilliant spell of 3/7 helped the United Arab Emirates (UAE) beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in the third and final T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

With this win, the UAE clinched the three-match series 2-1, marking their first-ever bilateral series victory over a full-member side of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Bangladesh, who were asked to bat first, posted 162/9 in 20 overs. Opener Tanzid Hasan gave them a flying start with a quickfire 40. However, the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 84/8 by the 14th over.

Wicketkeeper Jaker Ali then joined Hasan Mahmud at the crease and together they stitched a vital 44-run stand for the ninth wicket. Jaker top-scored for Bangladesh with 41 off 34 balls, hitting one four and three sixes, before falling to Saghir Khan in the 19th over. Mahmud remained unbeaten on 26 off 15 balls, while Shoriful Islam contributed a handy 16 not out from just seven deliveries.

For the UAE, Haider Ali was the pick of the bowlers with outstanding figures of 3 for 7 in his four overs. Saghir Khan and Matiullah Khan took two wickets each, while Dhruv Parashar and Akif Raja claimed one apiece.

In reply, the UAE chased down the 163-run target with ease, reaching 166/3 in 19.1 overs. The hosts had an early setback when captain Muhammad Waseem fell for a low score, but Sharafu steadied the innings with a composed knock.

He scored an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls, including five fours and three sixes, and was named Player of the Match for his efforts. Sharafu was well-supported by Asif Khan, who remained not out on 41 from 26 balls. The pair shared an unbroken 87-run stand for the fourth wicket to guide the UAE to a memorable win.

Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Shoriful Islam picked up one wicket each for Bangladesh.