On May 19, 2025, Bangladesh once again found itself on the wrong side of a T20I result against an associate nation. The United Arab Emirates, powered by a record-breaking knock from captain Muhammad Waseem, pulled off their highest-ever T20I chase — and in doing so, delivered a stinging blow to Bangladesh’s T20I pride in Sharjah.
This wasn’t the first time Bangladesh had been stunned by a lower-ranked opponent. Over the years, the Tigers have suffered a handful of humbling defeats against associate nations. Here’s a look at the most notable of those defeats.
UAE vs Bangladesh – Sharjah, 2025
Result: UAE won by 2 wickets
Match Summary:
- Bangladesh: 205/5 (Tanzid Hasan 59, Towhid Hridoy 45*)
- UAE: 206/8 in 19.5 overs (Waseem 82 off 42)
UAE’s chase of 206 was the highest ever by an associate team against a Full Member in T20Is. After Waseem’s blistering 82 and a steady hand from Zohaib Khan, late cameos helped UAE cross the finish line with one ball to spare. It was the UAE’s first win against Bangladesh across formats — and a landmark day for associate cricket.
USA vs Bangladesh – Houston, 2024
Result: USA won by 5 wickets
Match Summary:
- Bangladesh: 153/6 (Towhid Hridoy 58, Mahmudullah 31)
- USA: 156/5 in 19.3 overs (Harmeet Singh 33* off 13, Corey Anderson 34 off 25)
Just days before the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh were rattled in Houston. The USA, boosted by international experience from Corey Anderson and a blitz from Harmeet Singh, overhauled the target comfortably. This was USA’s second-ever T20I win over a Test-playing nation. The USA stunningly defeated Bangladesh in the 3-match T20I series after winning the first two games.
Hong Kong vs Bangladesh – Chattogram, 2014 T20 World Cup
Result: Hong Kong won by 2 wickets
Match Summary:
- Bangladesh: 108 all out (Nadeem Ahmed 4/21, Nizakat Khan 3/19)
- Hong Kong: 114/8 in 19.4 overs (Munir Dar 36*, Irfan Ahmed 34)
This was the match that shook the foundations of Bangladesh cricket. Playing at home, Bangladesh collapsed to 108, undone by sharp bowling from Nadeem and Nizakat. Despite some tense moments, Hong Kong held their nerve, sealing the chase with two balls to spare at the T20 World Cup 2014.
Scotland vs Bangladesh – Al Amerat, 2021 T20 World Cup
Result: Scotland won by 6 runs
Match Summary:
- Scotland: 140/9 (Greaves 45, Watt 22)
- Bangladesh: 134/7 (Mushfiqur 38, Shakib 20; Greaves 2/19)
Bangladesh appeared to be in control, but Chris Greaves changed the narrative. His all-round brilliance turned the game on its head. With the ball, he scalped two key wickets — Shakib and Mushfiqur — and helped Scotland restrict the Tigers to a below-par chase. The defeat started Bangladesh’s poor T20 World Cup 2021 campaign.
Bangladesh’s record against Associate Nations in T20Is is more troubling than a casual observer might suspect.
| Opponent | Matches | Won | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 3 | 1 | 2 | 33.33% |
| UAE | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80.00% |
| Hong Kong | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% |
| Scotland | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
| Netherlands | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80.00% |
While they have had some dominant outings against the likes of Nepal, PNG, Oman, and Malaysia, defeats to USA, UAE, Hong Kong, and Scotland dent Bangladesh’s record.
The post USA, Hong Kong & now UAE: Times when Bangladesh lost to associate nations in T20Is appeared first on Inside Sport India.