Abu dhabi: Bangladesh will play their 200th T20 International today when they take on Afghanistan for a 'do or die' Asia Cup contest at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. A defeat in the match would make Bangladesh's exit from the tournament from the group phase.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bangladesh began its T20 International journey against Zimbabwe on November 26, 2006, and has so far won 79 and lost 115 of the previous 199 matches. A victory against Afghanistan will not only keep them alive in the regional tournament but also make their milestone match memorable.
History suggests that Bangladesh has a knack for making milestone matches memorable. Bangladesh played its 100th T20I in July 2021, nearly 15 years after its first match, also against Zimbabwe. Bangladesh won that match, reaching the milestone of 'century' in T20Is by eight wickets, with Soumya Sarkar being named the man of the match in Harare with 50 runs and 1 wicket.
Bangladesh had previously marked its 100th ODI by defeating India for the first time in ODI cricket at the National Stadium in Dhaka on December 26, 2004. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was named Man of the Match for his all-round performance. Shakib Al Hasan's brilliance helped Bangladesh win the 200th ODI against West Indies in 2009. Bangladesh, which has played 449 ODIs, lost the 300th ODI but won the 400th ODI.
Additionally, Bangladesh won its 100th Test by defeating Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in Colombo in 2017, reaching the winning target of 191 with opener Tamim Iqbal scoring the highest 82 runs. These milestone matches can serve as inspiration for the Bangladesh team today.
Bangladesh, however, enters the 200 T20 club later than some other nations. Earlier, Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies, England, and South Africa reached the 200 T20 match club. Pakistan has played the most T20s, with 156 wins out of 274 matches. India has won the most T20s with 166 victories after playing 249 matches. Bangladesh's opponent Afghanistan has played 147 matches and won 90.