Bangladesh secured a convincing six-wicket victory in the first T20I, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. With momentum on their side, the hosts now stand on the brink of sealing the series in the second match at the Birshreshtha Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium.
Returning to international cricket after a long break, Mahedi played a key role in controlling the flow of runs. He delivered an economical spell, conceding just 31 runs in his four overs and picking up the crucial wicket of New Zealand’s Foxcroft.
Speaking ahead of the second T20I in a BCB video, Mahedi acknowledged the challenges bowlers face on the Chattogram wicket.
“Chattogram has always been a batting-friendly surface, so it’s naturally challenging for bowlers. If you look at the last match, both teams went through a tough time with the ball,” Mahedi said.
Despite a difficult start with the ball, Bangladesh managed to turn things around in the middle overs, largely due to the efforts of the spin unit. Mehidy highlighted the importance of those phases, crediting fellow spinner Rishad Hossain for his impact.
“In T20 cricket, batters always look to dominate from the start, and we struggled early on. But we gradually came back into the game. Rishad bowled exceptionally well, and I managed to make a comeback in the later overs. If we hadn’t controlled that phase, we might have conceded 20 more runs,” he explained.
Bangladesh’s spin department has been one of their strengths over the past 18 months, both at home and abroad. Mehidy believes they outperformed New Zealand’s bowling attack in the first match.
“If you assess the conditions properly, I think we bowled better than New Zealand overall. Over the last year and a half, our spinners have been consistently performing. Whether it’s Rishad, Nasum, or myself, whoever gets the opportunity is delivering,” he added.
After winning the ODI series, Bangladesh have made an impressive start in the T20I format as well.
