ZIM vs BAN 1st T20I Results

2:24 PM IST One down, two to go! That brings us to the end of a gripping contest as Zimbabwe take a 1-0 lead in the T20I series and move within one win of sealing it, while Bangladesh will be desperate to bounce back and force a decider. The action now shifts back to Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo for the second T20I on Friday, 17th July. The first ball will be bowled at 10.30 am GMT, but be sure to join us a little earlier for all the build-up. Until then, it's goodbye and take care!

2:24 PM IST The victorious skipper of Zimbabwe - Sikandar Raza starts off by saying that on this wicket, 150 looked par, but he says that his bowlers did a phenomenal job. He then praises Brian Bennett, especially the way he took on the responsibility to keep his wicket but still scored at a good rate. Raza shares that he is also feeling really proud that the team worked as a unit, and it is something that they were working for after they came back from the World Cup, but Raza also emphasises that they need to keep this momentum for the upcoming matches, as they have two more matches to go.

2:22 PM IST The captain of Bangladesh - Towhid Hridoy, on winning the toss and electing to bowl first, says that they could have done better with the ball. They leaked many boundaries in the final phase of the game, which they could have easily avoided. About the game plan for this match, he says that when you are chasing 170-180, you need partnerships, but as a batting unit, they failed to deliver. Hridoy shares that the conditions here are better for batting, but they need a few things to work on. Says that Rana is a very good bowler and he has been performing well from the past few series.

2:19 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Richard Ngarava wins the award for his outstanding spell of 4/26. He says there isn't too much to add and is simply delighted that the team comes away with the win. He praises the entire side for being ready to defend the total and is pleased with the collective effort. Speaking about the conditions, he says the Bulawayo surface is quite slow and is happy he managed to adapt to it. He adds that it's especially satisfying to see everyone chip in and contribute to the victory

2:10 PM IST Presentation Time...

2:10 PM IST Pace pair run through Bangladesh - Zimbabwe's bowlers delivered when it mattered most. Richard Ngarava set the tone by removing both openers in the same over, before Blessing Muzarabani struck to leave Bangladesh three down inside the Powerplay. Although the visitors briefly revived the chase, Milton Shumba's introduction helped shift the momentum back. Once Ngarava dismissed the well-set Yasir, Bangladesh's resistance crumbled. Ngarava finished with outstanding figures of 4/26, while Muzarabani claimed 4/17 as the hosts ripped through the lower order, taking the final five wickets for just eight runs to wrap up a commanding victory.