Tigers complete clean sweep

Bangladesh complete a clinical 3-0 sweep over Afghanistan with a six-wicket win in the third T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE on Sunday night, chasing 144 with 12 balls to spare after Saif Hassan's measured 64 not out off 38 balls anchored an innings that briefly flickered, then steadied, reports UNB.

Put in after Bangladesh won the toss, Afghanistan never quite escaped the grip of the seam-spin rotation and closed on 143 for 9. Darwish Rasooli (32 off 29) and Sediqullah Atal (28 off 23) offered shape through the middle, and a late-order nudge from Mujeeb Ur Rahman (23* off 18) lifted the total beyond 140.

The damage came earlier: Mohammad Saifuddin (3 for 15) nicked out Wafiullah Tarakhil and Rasooli to stall momentum after the Powerplay, while left-armers Nasum Ahmed (2 for 24) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2 for 24) kept the squeeze.

Rashid Khan briefly counterpunched with a 12 off 7 cameo, but Afghanistan fell from 98 for 7 to 132 for 9 before Mujeeb's recovery strokes.

Bangladesh's reply began in brisk, unfussy fashion despite a maiden from Mujeeb to start. Parvez Hossain Emon's skied miscue to Rashid off Azmatullah Omarzai (3-0-12-1) made it 24 for 1, but Saif-promoted to No. 3 this series-set the tone, picking length early and clearing the arc seven times in an innings that married clean swing with restraint.

Tanzid Hasan (33 off 33) partnered him in a 55-run stand that took Bangladesh to 79 for 1 at drinks.

There was a jolt: Mujeeb, operating with drift and dip, trapped Jaker Ali lbw and then hit the top of off to remove Shamim Hossain on consecutive deliveries, flipping 109 for 2 to 109 for 4 in the 14th over.

Rashid had already bowled superbly giving away only 13 runs in four overs,, but with Afghanistan's quicks misfiring-Abdollah Ahmadzai's 50 runs in 4 overs included four sixes-Bangladesh rode out the turbulence.