DUBAI: India retained the Asia Cup with a three-wicket win off the last ball against a fighting Bangladesh who were anchored by a maiden hundred from opener Liton Das in Dubai on Friday.
India made heavy weather of a modest 223-run target as Bangladesh fought for every run before the title holders achieved victory off the last ball watched by a capacity 25,000 holiday crowd at Dubai stadium.
Das held the innings together during his 117-ball 121 which featured a dozen boundaries and two sixes but Bangladesh, who were put into bat, were all out in 48.3 overs despite a solid opening stand of 120 with Mehidy Hasan.
With their settled opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, India were expected to run away with victory, like they did in the previous matches but Bangladesh were not ready to give up without a fight.
Dhawan was dismissed for 15 and Sharma for a punishing 55-ball 48, studded with three sixes and as many boundaries.
Dinesh Karthik (37) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36) added 54 for the fourth wicket but once both were dismissed Bangladesh looked like pulling off an upset.
Ravindra Jadeja (23) and Bhuvenshwar Kumar (21) brought the target within India’s reach through a 45-run stand for the sixth wicket but Bangladesh removed them both with eight runs still needed.
India then required six off the last over and one off the final delivery which came as a leg-bye. Kedar Jadhav finished with 23 not out.
“We played some good cricket throughout the tournament and this is the reward for hard work,” said Sharma, standing in for regular skipper Virat Kohli, rested for the event.
“We’ve put in a complete performance. With a team so good, the captain always looks good. But it’s not easy without the support of the ten other players, so credit to them.”
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortza praised his team’s fight.
“We played with our hearts,” said Mortaza. “We played till the last ball, but we made mistakes with both bat and ball. Liton played a brilliant knock but we were 20-30 runs short.”
India won the Asia Cup — under a Twenty20 format — in Bangladesh in 2016.
Friday’s result meant Bangladesh lost in a second Asia Cup final after coming up just short by two runs in the 2012 final against Pakistan at home.
Earlier Bangladesh lost all their wickets for 102 runs in a major middle-order collapse after a brisk opening stand of 120.
Hasan was promoted to open the innings and he and Das attacked India’s pace-cum-spin attack.
But once Hasan was caught off Jadhav in the 21st over the innings collapsed with Bangladesh losing four more wickets by the time the score reached 151.
Hasan hit three boundaries in his 59-ball 32 while Soumya Sarkar made a 45-ball 33 with a boundary and a six.
Former captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 144 and 99 earlier in the tournament, also hold out off Jadhav who finished with 2-41. Rahim made just five.
Bangladesh’s cause was not helped by three run-outs while left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned with the best figures of 3-45.
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India down Bangladesh to retain Asia Cup in last-ball thriller
India down Bangladesh to retain Asia Cup in last-ball thriller
- India won the Asia Cup — under a Twenty20 format — in Bangladesh in 2016
- Friday’s result meant Bangladesh lost in a second Asia Cup final after coming up just short by two runs in the 2012 final against Pakistan at home
New Zealand looks to its batting depth, game-breakers at the T20 World Cup
The Black Caps’ best effort in nine World Cups was in 2021 when they were well beaten by Australia in the final
The latest T20 World Cup starts Saturday in India and Sri Lanka over the next month
WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand will lean heavily on its batting depth and proven match-winners to balance a depleted attack as it attempts to win the T20 World Cup for the first time.
The Black Caps’ best effort in nine World Cups was in 2021 when they were well beaten by Australia in the final.
That record reflects New Zealand’s love-hate relationship with a format to which it seems well adapted with its high percentage of allrounders. New Zealand played the first-ever T20 international, against Australia, and its win-loss record in around 260 internationals is roughly 50 percent.
The latest T20 World Cup starts Saturday in India and Sri Lanka over the next month.
New Zealand heads into the tournament on the back of a humbling T20 series loss to India in India. In the fifth game, New Zealand conceded a record 271-5, which included a century from 40 balls by Ishan Kishan.
New Zealand’s weakened bowling attack was under the pump throughout the series. In the third match, India chased down New Zealand’s 153-9 with only two wickets down and 10 overs remaining.
Asked at the end of the series if there was anything New Zealand could have done to contain the Indian batters, skipper Mitchell Santner joked, “Maybe push the boundaries back a little bit!”
But Santner was happy with the intelligence New Zealand gained from the India series ahead of its World Cup opener against Afghanistan at Chennai.
“We look at the series as a whole. We learned a lot of good stuff,” Santner said. “It’s not easy as a bowling unit. We’ve got to find ways against very good batters.”
New Zealand will ask much of the 31-year-old pacer Jacob Duffy, who will be playing at his first T20 World Cup. Duffy had an extraordinary breakout season in 2025, taking 81 wickets in a calendar year to break the New Zealand record held by Richard Hadlee. He is the No. 4-ranked T20 bowler in the world.
Apart from Duffy, the New Zealand pace lineup includes Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson, who came in as a late replacement for the injured Adam Milne. Ben Sears is the traveling reserve and may see action as Henry and Ferguson may both take short breaks for paternity leave.
Santner and Ish Sodhi are the main spin options, with Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell providing backup.
Sodhi said the batters spent time facing spin in their tournament preparation.
“At training the boys wanted to face spinners and see what their boundary and single options were, so it was really cool that everyone is training specifically for that,” he said.
New Zealand’s strong batting lineup comprises of Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert. Seifert will also keep wicket while the allrounders Jimmy Neesham, who provides an extra pace option, Bracewell and Phillips balance the squad.
“We’ve got plenty of power and skill in the batting, quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions plus five allrounders who all bring something slightly different,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said.
“This is an experienced group and the players are no strangers to playing in the subcontinent, which will be valuable.”
New Zealand’s squad includes players with franchise experience around the world who bring a match-winning element.
Allen has a strike rate of 165.45 in T20 internationals and 175.23 in domestic or franchise T20 cricket.
Phillips has a strike rate of 141.56 in international T20s and provides athleticism in the field, reflected by his 52 catches.
“World Cups are special and there’s few better places to play one than in India, which is very much the heartbeat of the modern game,” Walter said. “I’m really happy with the skills and experience of this squad. We have a group which can make New Zealand proud.”
New Zealand is drawn in Group D with Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa and the UAE.
The latest T20 World Cup starts Saturday in India and Sri Lanka over the next month
WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand will lean heavily on its batting depth and proven match-winners to balance a depleted attack as it attempts to win the T20 World Cup for the first time.
The Black Caps’ best effort in nine World Cups was in 2021 when they were well beaten by Australia in the final.
That record reflects New Zealand’s love-hate relationship with a format to which it seems well adapted with its high percentage of allrounders. New Zealand played the first-ever T20 international, against Australia, and its win-loss record in around 260 internationals is roughly 50 percent.
The latest T20 World Cup starts Saturday in India and Sri Lanka over the next month.
New Zealand heads into the tournament on the back of a humbling T20 series loss to India in India. In the fifth game, New Zealand conceded a record 271-5, which included a century from 40 balls by Ishan Kishan.
New Zealand’s weakened bowling attack was under the pump throughout the series. In the third match, India chased down New Zealand’s 153-9 with only two wickets down and 10 overs remaining.
Asked at the end of the series if there was anything New Zealand could have done to contain the Indian batters, skipper Mitchell Santner joked, “Maybe push the boundaries back a little bit!”
But Santner was happy with the intelligence New Zealand gained from the India series ahead of its World Cup opener against Afghanistan at Chennai.
“We look at the series as a whole. We learned a lot of good stuff,” Santner said. “It’s not easy as a bowling unit. We’ve got to find ways against very good batters.”
New Zealand will ask much of the 31-year-old pacer Jacob Duffy, who will be playing at his first T20 World Cup. Duffy had an extraordinary breakout season in 2025, taking 81 wickets in a calendar year to break the New Zealand record held by Richard Hadlee. He is the No. 4-ranked T20 bowler in the world.
Apart from Duffy, the New Zealand pace lineup includes Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson, who came in as a late replacement for the injured Adam Milne. Ben Sears is the traveling reserve and may see action as Henry and Ferguson may both take short breaks for paternity leave.
Santner and Ish Sodhi are the main spin options, with Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell providing backup.
Sodhi said the batters spent time facing spin in their tournament preparation.
“At training the boys wanted to face spinners and see what their boundary and single options were, so it was really cool that everyone is training specifically for that,” he said.
New Zealand’s strong batting lineup comprises of Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert. Seifert will also keep wicket while the allrounders Jimmy Neesham, who provides an extra pace option, Bracewell and Phillips balance the squad.
“We’ve got plenty of power and skill in the batting, quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions plus five allrounders who all bring something slightly different,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said.
“This is an experienced group and the players are no strangers to playing in the subcontinent, which will be valuable.”
New Zealand’s squad includes players with franchise experience around the world who bring a match-winning element.
Allen has a strike rate of 165.45 in T20 internationals and 175.23 in domestic or franchise T20 cricket.
Phillips has a strike rate of 141.56 in international T20s and provides athleticism in the field, reflected by his 52 catches.
“World Cups are special and there’s few better places to play one than in India, which is very much the heartbeat of the modern game,” Walter said. “I’m really happy with the skills and experience of this squad. We have a group which can make New Zealand proud.”
New Zealand is drawn in Group D with Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa and the UAE.
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