Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy. File photo

DHAKA, July 17, 2026 (BSS)-Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy hailed his side's 
stellar performance after they defeated Zimbabwe by 34 runs in the second T20 
International to level the three-match series 1-1 in Bulawayo today.

Hridoy said Bangladesh's batters finally executed the team's plans after 
struggling throughout the Zimbabwe tour.

"As a unit, we bowled and batted really well. The batters took 
responsibility," Hridoy said. "We are always talking about partnerships, and 
we had a very good one early on. Our target was to get a couple of 
partnerships, with the main focus on the start of the innings. We needed that 
early partnership, and we executed it today."

Bangladesh posted 186-5 after openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Saif Hasan 
shared a 120-run stand before the bowlers dismissed Zimbabwe for 152.

Hridoy praised his bowlers for sticking to their plans on a surface that 
offered assistance.

"Our plan was to bowl tight lines, and they executed that well here," he 
said.

Reflecting on Bangladesh's difficult tour, which included defeats in the one-
off Test and ODI series, Hridoy said the players had adapted to the 
conditions.

"As professional players, we have to adjust quickly. We know the conditions 
now, so we are trying to adapt and execute our plans," he said.

The captain also hoped that pace bowler Nahid Rana, who appeared to suffer a 
fitness concern during the match, would recover in time for the series 
decider.

Player of the Match Mohammad Saifuddin attributed Bangladesh's turnaround to 
better preparation and adaptation to local conditions.

"Alhamdulillah. After a long time, it's my first Player of the Match award in 
T20 Internationals. That's why I'm so excited," Saifuddin said.

He credited the opening pair for laying the platform and praised the bowlers 
for completing the job.

"All credit goes to our opening batters. They batted really well and set the 
tone for a big score. Credit also goes to our bowling attack. Mahedi, Rishad, 
everyone did well."

Saifuddin said Bangladesh had addressed their struggles against Zimbabwean 
conditions during team discussions.

"We discussed it a lot over the last few days. We needed to adjust to the 
conditions. This is winter here, whereas our conditions at home are very hot. 
We had a little bit of a problem adjusting to the wicket. But two days ago, 
we had a good meeting, and that's why our batters did really well today," he 
added.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza admitted his side's poor fielding cost them 
the match despite a spirited bowling effort.

"To be honest, as a captain, I'm genuinely embarrassed to be here," Raza 
said. "The way we fielded had a ripple effect into our batting."

Zimbabwe dropped seven catches before the final over, in which Brad Evans 
conceded 28 runs to Mohammad Saifuddin, helping Bangladesh finish with a 
commanding total.

Raza believed his bowlers had kept Zimbabwe in the contest despite the missed 
opportunities.

"Even after dropping that many catches, we kept them at bay until the 19th 
over. I thought that was a great performance because we had dropped seven 
catches by then."

He said Bangladesh's late collapse briefly kept Zimbabwe in the game, but the 
expensive final over proved decisive.

"The last over took the game away from us. At 165, we might have gone about 
our business slightly differently. But the way we fielded, that was coming."

Raza insisted Zimbabwe did not deserve victory after such a sloppy display in 
the field.

"I just think we didn't deserve to win. Even with 165, we didn't deserve to 
win," he said.

The series-deciding third and final T20 International will be played on 
Sunday at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.