Emon’s ton lights up Sharjah, but Litton rues missed opportunity

Parvez Hossain Emon etched his name in the record books with a dazzling maiden international century, yet Bangladesh were left with a sense of unfulfilled promise in their T20I opener against the UAE in Sharjah.

The left-handed opener powered 100 off just 54 balls—only the second T20I century ever by a Bangladeshi after Tamim Iqbal's ton in 2016. With nine sixes and a flurry of boundaries, Parvez carried the innings almost single-handedly, helping Bangladesh post 191 for 7. But captain Litton Das admitted the team left runs on the table in the final overs.

"The wicket was really good for batting. The way Parvez batted was outstanding," Litton said after the match. "But we didn't finish well. We couldn't score much in the last three overs."

From 169 for 5 after 17 overs, Bangladesh managed just 22 more runs, with seven of those coming in extras. Neither Parvez nor the usually reliable Shamim Hossain could find the boundary rope consistently, and the anticipated push towards 200 never materialised.

Despite the strong total, Bangladesh's bowlers were tested. UAE captain Muhammad Waseem struck 54 off 39 balls, Rahul Chopra offered support, and Asif Khan's explosive 42 off 21 deliveries brought the hosts right back into contention. At 131 for 3 after 13 overs, the UAE needed 61 from the last 42 balls—well within reach.

However, Bangladesh's bowlers rallied brilliantly in the death overs. Led by Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan Sakib, they took seven wickets for just 33 runs in the final seven overs, sealing a 28-run win.

Litton, while pleased with the result, emphasised the need for improvement, particularly with the ball in the middle overs.

"The UAE batters played really well. We have to give them credit. We also need to understand what kind of bowling suits this pitch and adjust accordingly," he said. "But our bowlers deserve a lot of credit. I always believe they can turn things around."

Before the series began, Litton had called for players to adapt better to match situations. In that regard, while the batting effort remained overly dependent on Parvez, the bowlers responded when it mattered most.

Parvez, named Player of the Match, reflected on his milestone moment with quiet satisfaction: "This is my first century in international cricket. That makes it very special."

The crowd, largely made up of Bangladeshi expats, roared their approval at Sharjah. Both Parvez and Litton acknowledged the energy from the stands, with Litton adding, "Wherever we play, our fans come to support us. That's something really special."