Bangladesh Dominates Netherlands as Taskin Ahmed Shines on Return

Bangladesh kicked off the Netherlands tour of Bangladesh, 2025, with a resounding eight-wicket victory over the visitors, largely thanks to a phenomenal bowling display by pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed. Taskin, who has been on a journey to rediscover his form after an Achilles injury, claimed four wickets for just 28 runs, earning him the Player of the Match award.

The right-arm pacer expressed optimism about his progress, though he acknowledged the road to full rhythm is still ongoing. "Alhamdulillah, getting better (rhythm-wise). I returned with the Sri Lanka series after injury but struggled a bit there (with my rhythm) but I'm getting better," Taskin told reporters, highlighting his commitment to the recovery process and his desire to bowl at his best while adapting to match situations.

Beyond Taskin's heroics, Bangladesh's victory was a collective effort. Off-spinner Saif Hassan contributed significantly, taking two crucial wickets and then scoring an unbeaten 36 runs off just 19 balls after being promoted up the batting order. The team's batting prowess was further underscored by Litton Kumar Das, whose "extraordinary innings" was praised even by the opposition.

Netherlands head coach Ryan Cook lauded Bangladesh's batting performance, particularly their clean hitting and smart rotation. "I thought they struck the ball really well with clean execution. As soon as our bowlers missed, they were on it. There were some excellent shots both on the ground and in the air," said Cook. "Also, some really smart strike rotation-especially from Litton, who played an extraordinary innings. They batted really well. Obviously, we would like to bowl a bit better, but their execution was excellent," he added.

An unexpected challenge for the bowlers was the significant dew in Sylhet's humid weather, which Taskin noted affected grip. "Honestly, when we play in the BPL during winter, there's usually some dew and it's quite significant but I didn't expect so much dew in the hot weather," Taskin commented. However, he emphasized the team's ability to adapt, stating, "However, that's beyond our control and we can't control the weather and so we just have to adjust to it."

The commanding victory provides a strong start for Bangladesh in the series, with Taskin Ahmed's impactful return being a major positive for the team's prospects going forward.