UAE vs BAN T20I Match Preview: Bangladesh aim to assert their dominance in two-match series against hosts

ByDebayan Sinha,SportsCafe Editor

Today at 7:41 PM

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will take on Bangladesh in the opening clash of the two-match T20I series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on May 17. With the series set to begin at 8:30 PM IST, both sides will be eager to make a strong start and set the tone for a promising tournament.

‌Bangladesh come into this series hoping to turn things around in T20I cricket. They had a tough time in the T20I World Cup 2024, where they couldn't win a single match, and were then beaten by India 3-0. However, they ended last year on a high by beating the West Indies 3-0 in the Caribbean Islands and will want to carry that momentum forward. Litton Das is leading a young and talented squad. At the top of the order, Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan are expected to score most of the runs. Jaker Ali, who was the top scorer in the West Indies series, is another player to watch. With the ball, Mustafizur Rahman will key role as the Sharjah pitch will suit his slower balls and cutters, especially in the death overs. Tanzim Hasan Shakib and Hasan Mahmud will add pace and look to scalp early wickets. Additionally, Rishad Hossain’s leg-spin will be important in the middle overs as he often picks up wickets when the opponents start to settle.

Meanwhile, the UAE are coming off a mixed series in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two. They played five ODIS, three against Scotland and two against the Netherlands, but won only once. Still, they’ve done well in T20 cricket recently. They won the Gulf T20I Championship 2024/25, beating teams like Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. In the final, they held their nerve to defeat Kuwait by two wickets. Muhammad Waseem is back as captain and will lead from the front. He had a great tournament in the Gulf Championship, scoring 221 runs in six innings with a strike rate of nearly 150. Rahul Chopra, the wicketkeeper-batter, and Asif Khan in the middle order have also been among the runs and could play important roles. In the bowling attack, Muhammad Jawadullah will lead the pace unit. He’ll get support from left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh, who is reliable in the middle overs. Dhruv Parashar, who keeps things tight with his accurate bowling, could also do well on this pitch.

Form Guide

UAE: W L W W W

Bangladesh: W W W L L

UAE vs Bangladesh Head to head in T20Is

Bangladesh's dominance over the UAE began with a commanding 51-run victory in the 2016 Asia Cup, where their bowlers dismantled the UAE lineup after setting a competitive total. In 2022, they extended their streak with two more wins in a bilateral T20I series, first defending 158 with a 7-run win and then chasing down 137 comfortably with 6 wickets in hand, showcasing control in both batting and bowling.

Bangladesh 3-0 UAE

Pitch and Weather

The surface at Sharjah Cricket Stadium tends to be balanced, assisting both batters and bowlers. Seamers can extract bounce early on, while spinners may get some turn before dew sets in. Conditions will be hot and dry throughout the match, with a minimum temperature around 32°C and no threat of rain.

Team News

The UAE have injected fresh blood into their squad with the inclusion of three uncapped players, Ethan D'Souza, Matiullah Khan, and Haider Ali, while appointing Muhammad Waseem as captain after a brief hiatus. Meanwhile, Bangladesh named a 16-member squad led by new skipper Litton Das, with key players like Towhid Hridoy, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam making their return after missing the West Indies series last year.

Bangladesh Probable XI: Litton Das (c & wk), Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy/ Najmul Hossain Shanto, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud

UAE Probable XI: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Asif Khan, Rahul Chopra (wk), Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Jawadullah, Simranjeet Singh, Sanchit Sharma, Muhammad Zuhaib, Matiullah Khan