Taskin Ahmed claimed three wickets in an over as Bangladesh kept their cool under pressure to beat Ireland by 22 runs in a rain-affected first Twenty20 international in Chittagong on Monday.
Bangladesh posted in 19.2 overs before rain ended their innings, halting the game for more than an hour and forcing match officials to set Ireland a revised target of 104 runs in eight overs.
Ireland finished with 81-5 despite making a flying start to their run chase with 18 runs scored in the first over.
Taskin forced the visitors to slow down with his three-wicket burst in the fourth over before claiming another wicket in the final over to finish with 4-16, his career-best figures in T20Is.
Modhumoti Bank Limited T20i Series: Bangladesh vs Ireland: 1st T20i
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) March 27, 2023
Bangladesh Won the Match by 22 Runs (DLS)
Full Match Details: https://t.co/uOMTygM4BP#BCB | #Cricket | #BANvIRE pic.twitter.com/OUSF8ARQy8
Gareth Delany top-scored for Ireland and was unbeaten on 21.
Earlier Rony Talukdar struck a career-best 67 from 38 balls to power Bangladesh after stand-in Ireland skipper Paul Stirling won the toss and elected to bowl.
Rony put on 91 runs in just seven overs in an opening stand with Liton Das, who made 47 off 23 balls.
Craig Young broke the stand when he forced Liton to hole out to Stirling at mid-off and Harry Tector soon had Najmul Hossain stumped for 14.
Ireland were hoping to put the brakes on Bangladesh's scoring spree once Graham Hume bowled Rony, who smacked seven fours and three sixes in his maiden T20I fifty.
However, Shamim Hossain's 20-ball 30 and Shakib Al Hasan's 20 not out off 13 balls helped Bangladesh race past the 200-run mark before rain brought a premature end.
Modhumoti Bank Limited T20i Series | Bangladesh vs Ireland: 1st T20i
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) March 27, 2023
A Glimpse of Bangladesh's Innings#BCB | #Cricket | #BANvIRE pic.twitter.com/MV3G6kGWYi
Right-arm pacer Young claimed 2-45 for Ireland.
The game was Bangladesh's first T20I at home against Ireland, who have rested regular skipper Andrew Balbirnie for the three-match series.
The second match is scheduled at the same ground on Wednesday.
Bangladesh won the preceding three-match one-day international series 2-0. The teams will meet for a one-off test in early April.
BANGLADESH: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Liton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed
IRELAND: Paul Stirling (capt), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young