Mirpur: After rain delayed the start of the Asia cup final between India and Bangladesh by around two hours, the match which was reduced to a 15-over game, had even thrills make it an exciting spectacle for the spectators.
India won the toss and chose to field, which was a good decision from MS Dhoni, keeping in mind the wet conditions on field and overcast weather.
The Bangladesh innings started off by scoring 30 runs in the first five overs with the loss of two wickets. Some stability was restored with a 34 run partnership between Sabbir Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan.
Bangladesh then lost two quick wickets before Mahmudullah joined the party. He and Sabbir Rahman managed a 45-run partnership from just 20 balls, guiding Bangladesh to a competitive total of 120 runs with a loss of 5 wickets.
Chasing 121 runs to win, India lost Rohit Sharma which added more pressure on Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. However, the seasoned players stepped upto the occasion. Dhawan scored a well-deserved 60 off 44 balls and Kohli kept his cool to score 41 runs off 28 balls.
Dhoni also joined the party with 20 runs from 6 balls, consisting of 1 four and 2 sixes. Dhoni finished the match in style (like always) with a six taking India to 122-2 with 7 balls to spare, making them proud champions.
Earlier, Mahmudullah entertained the crowd with his quickfire 33 off 13 balls. He came into bat at 75-5 with 20 balls to go. He came in when Bangladesh had lost two quick wickets in two consecutive balls. He took the attack back to the opposition and propelled the Bangladesh innings, hitting 2 fours and 2 sixes with a strike rate of 253.84, helping Bangladesh put up a competitive total.
Later, Shikhar Dhawan found his form when it mattered the most. Having lost Rohit Sharma early, it was time for Dhawan to step up to the occasion. Having scored just 19 runs in 3 innings in the tournament, it was the perfect time for him to play a big innings. Dhawan along with Virat Kohli managed a partnership of 94 runs 67 balls. Dhawan scored 60 off 44 balls this included 9 fours and 1 six, earning him the well-deserved man-of-the-match award.
India were guided to their 6th Asian cup trophy, well-deserved one, considering they remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. India now have won the Asia Cup the most number of times (6), followed by Sri Lanka (5) and Pakistan (2).
