Déjà-vu for Defending Big Totals: Bangladesh Falter Like Lucknow, While UAE and Hyderabad Chase 206

Déjà-vu for Defending Big Totals: Bangladesh Falter Like Lucknow, While UAE and Hyderabad Chase 206

Two different venues, two eerily similar scripts:

• Sharjah – UAE v Bangladesh, 2nd T20I

  • Bangladesh stacked up 205/5 but captain Muhammad Waseem’s 42-ball 82 and a nerveless finish from Haider Ali carried the UAE to 206/8 with one ball and two wickets to spare—Bangladesh’s first defeat after setting 200-plus in a T20I and a result that knots the series at 1-1.

• Hyderabad – IPL Eliminator, Sunrisers v Lucknow

  • Earlier the same night, Lucknow Super Giants’ 205/6 proved just as vulnerable. Sunrisers Hyderabad galloped home in 18.2 overs, powered by a 20-ball 59 from left-hand opener Abhishek Sharma, then steady support knocks from Ishan Kishan (35 off 28), Heinrich Klaasen (47 off 28) and Kamindu Mendis (32 off 21). Sunrisers advance; Lucknow bow out.

Parallels

In both games, 205 looked above-par until dew, aggressive power-plays and loose death-overs tipped the scales. For Bangladesh skipper Litton Das the loss was “painful,” mirroring Lucknow’s exit a few hours earlier: big score, but no defence.