Bangladesh clinched the bronze medal in the men’s cricket event at the 19th Asian Games in China’s Hangzhou, thanks to a heroic last-ball four by Rakibul Hasan. The left-handed batsman smashed a full toss from Sufiyan Muqeem to the midwicket boundary, sparking wild celebrations among his teammates and fans.
The match was a rain-affected thriller, with both teams having to bat only five overs each. Pakistan, who were the second seeds in the tournament, batted first and posted 48 for 1, with opener Mirza Baig scoring a quickfire 32 off 18 balls. Bangladesh’s target was revised to 65 by the DLS method, which meant they had to score at a rate of 13 runs per over.
Bangladesh’s chase got off to a disastrous start, as they lost three wickets in the first over, including captain Saif Hassan. Arshad Iqbal was the wrecker-in-chief for Pakistan, taking three wickets for 14 runs in his two overs. However, Bangladesh fought back through a brilliant counter-attack by Yasir Ali, who scored 34 off 16 balls, including four sixes.
Yasir Ali almost took Bangladesh home single-handedly, but he was bowled by Sufiyan Muqeem in the last over, leaving Bangladesh needing four runs off the final ball. Rakibul Hasan, who had just come to the crease, kept his cool and dispatched the low full toss to the fence, completing a remarkable comeback for Bangladesh.
This was Bangladesh’s first medal in cricket at the Asian Games, while Pakistan failed to win any medal in the event.
