Youngsters Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain showcased a brilliant batting display to help Bangladesh clinch a thrilling two-wicket win over Afghanistan in the opening game of the two-match T20I series at the jam-packed Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Chasing a modest target of 155 runs, Bangladesh were left struggling at 64-4 in the 11th over but a scintillating partnership of 73 runs between Hridoy (47 not out) and Shamim (33 off 25 balls) for the fifth wicket brought the hosts back in the contest.

Rashid Khan (1-24) removed Shamim in the 18th over to break the danger-looking stand but Hridoy remained firm at the crease and made the equation six runs in the last over.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (eight) hit a boundary in the first ball of the last over to bring the match to Bangladesh’s favour but pacer Karim Janat then completed a hat-trick by taking three wickets in the next three balls to bring some late excitement in the contest.

Karim (3-15) claimed Mehidy in the second ball before he removed Taskin Ahmed (0) and Nasum Ahmed (0) in the next two balls to rise the prospect of another heartbreak for the Tigers.

However, Shoriful Islam hit the winning boundary in the next ball to help Bangladesh reach 157-8 in 19.5 overs to complete their first T20I victory at this venue.

Bangladesh earlier lost both the T20Is played at this venue against Sri Lanka and West Indies held in 2018. The opening T20I between Bangladesh and Afghanistan was the first ever T20I at this venue in the last five years.

Earlier, Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi struck an unbeaten 54 off 40 balls while Azmatullah Omarzai and Najibullah Zadran contributed 33 and 23 runs respectively as the visitors posted 154-7 in their 20 overs after being sent into bat first.

Bangladesh top-order failed to give them a decent start in the modest run chase as they lost the first three batters for just 39 runs in the seventh over.

Rony Talukdar (four) was bowled by in-form pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi while Najmul Hossain Shanto (14) and Liton Das (18) were dismissed by Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Azmatullah.

Rain finally came to interrupt the proceedings when Bangladesh reached 41-3 in 7.2 overs but the game resumed only after a 17-minute break.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan played some confident-looking shots but his innings was cut short on 19 by left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Bangladesh got their way back in the contest when Hridoy and Shamim hit Azmatullah for 21 runs in the 13th over.

Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers gave them a brilliant start in the game as they reduced the tourists to 40-3 in the power-play.

Local boy Nasum Ahmed dismissed Afghan opener Hazratullah Zazai, who was playing his first T20I since February this year, for eight in the third over before pacer Taskin Ahmed removed another opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (16) in the next over.

Left-arm pacer Shoriful, who finished with a career-best bowling figure of 4-21 in the last ODI of the three-match series in Chattogram, continued his excellent form as he removed Ibrahim Zadran (eight) in the fifth over.

Shakib claimed his first wicket in the contest by dismissing Karim Janat (three) while Mehidy joined in the act by removing Najibullah in the 14th over.

Afghanistan were 87-5 at that stage and Nabi then shared a crucial 56-run stand for the sixth wicket with Azmatullah to bring their side back in the contest.

Azmatullah was more in an attacking mood as he struck four big sixes in his 18-ball innings before Shakib (2-27) removed the batter in his last ball of the innings.

Pacer Mustafizur Rahman dismissed Rashid (three) in the last over but Afghanistan, by this time, got a challenging score on the board thanks to the late blitz by their middle-order batsmen, who scored 60 runs in the last five overs.

The second and last match of the series will be held at the same venue on Sunday.