The Tigers started this year’s World Cup with a 9-run victory. Bangladesh’s next opponent is South Africa. The match against the Proteas will be held on October 27. Bangladesh will play against Zimbabwe on October 30. Shakib Al Hasan’s team will then play against India on November 2 and Pakistan on November 6.

He took two wickets in the first two balls of the Netherlands innings. In the first ball, Vikramjit Singh was caught by Yasir Ali Rabbi. Nurul Hasan Sohan was caught by The Bus D lead. In the fourth over, the Dutch were hit hard. Max O’Dowd (8) and Tom Cooper (0) were run out in that over by Shakib Al Hasan.

Colin Ackerman took the Netherlands to 133 runs. He played an innings of 62 runs in 48 balls. In the end, Paul von Meekeren was almost catching Bangladesh by scoring 24 runs in 14 balls.

Taskin took 4 wickets for 25 runs in 4 overs. Ackerman, who has become dangerous, is also a victim of Taskin. Hasan Mahmud took two wickets for just 15 runs in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman, the other pacer, was wicketless for 20 runs in 4 overs.

Earlier, After losing the toss, Bangladesh scored 144 runs for 8 wickets. Afif Hossain played an innings of 38 runs in 27 balls. His innings included 2 sixes and 2 fours. Nazmul Hasan Shanto scored 25 off 20 balls. In the end, Mosaddek Hossain remained unbeaten on 20 runs in 12 balls.

The path to the Super 12s had been anything but smooth for the Dutch side. They made it on the back of tough wins over UAE and Namibia. The Netherlands then went down to Sri Lanka in the last qualifying game and had to wait anxiously to see UAE beat Namibia before their progression was confirmed.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said that his side would in no way treat the Netherlands any differently than any other team.
“We will prepare for every game in the same way. Whether we are playing against the Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, or Pakistan, we will think and prepare properly against each of these teams. The Netherlands were expected to play at this stage,” Shakib said. “I think it is you [the media] who have created the perception that Bangladesh is relieved that we are playing against the Netherlands.
“I don’t think any team in the world thinks this way. Similarly, we don’t feel that way. We are always trying to win. We are preparing the same way, even if Sri Lanka or West Indies were our opponents.”

Shakib urged his teammates to be flexible about playing in different positions with both bat and ball, based on what the situation demands. “We have 15 fit and ready players. Everyone has the potential to play in any situation. I want everyone to play freely. They will be prepared to bowl [any] particular over, the field in [any] particular position, and generally play according to the team’s needs. Teams that can fit situations do well in T20s. I am hopeful our team has this knowledge.”

Shakib also played down questions of pressure on him as he returns as captain in a World Cup for the first time since 2011. Shakib lost his captaincy shortly after that tournament, and this has been his first opportunity since to lead his side full-time in a World Cup (he led Bangladesh in one game during the 2015 campaign). “I don’t believe there’s a challenge for me, or I have to prove something. We have come here to play a World Cup in which Bangladesh hasn’t done well in the past. We can do something this time that we have not done before,” Shakib said.

Cooper meanwhile said that his side’s busy summer – they faced West Indies, England, New Zealand, and Pakistan – is another source of confidence. While the results were not always in their favor, Cooper believes the experience will do the Netherlands a world of good.
“We come here with a lot of confidence. We played a lot of cricket against the big teams this summer. We had the chance to knock them off, so we are taking that experience into this tournament. We are here to compete, not just to make up numbers. It starts with Bangladesh,” he said.

Cooper however has the result against Bangladesh at the T20 World Cup six years ago at the back of his mind. “They are a dangerous team. Anyone can beat anyone in T20s. We won’t be looking too much into their record in the past [but] on their day, they can beat anyone. We have had some close contests with them in the past, so it will be nice to compete and get a win against them tomorrow.”