After facing a 2-1 defeat in the ODI series against Afghanistan, the hosts will now take Rashid Khan-led side in a 2-match T20I series. Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet will host both games on July 14 and 16. The venue is going to witness its first T20 international game after December 2018. In this space you can check the Sylhet pitch report, T20 records at the ground, and weather report during BAN vs AFG series.
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium is one of the 8 international cricket venues in Bangladesh. The arena has a seating capacity of 18,500. Sylhet Cricket Ground was established in 2007 and it hosted its first international match in 2014. 1 Test, 4 ODIs, and 8 T20Is have been played at the venue to date.
Six of the T20I matches that Sylhet has hosted were T20 World Cup 2014 games while the other two games were played in 2018. With the completion of BAN vs AFG 2-match series, Sylhet will become only the 3rd Stadium in Bangladesh to host 10 T20I matches, the other two are Sher-e Bangla, Dhaka and Zohur Ahmed Choudhary Stadium.
Sylhet Cricket Stadium T20 Records
- Total T20I matches played: 8
- Matches won by the team batting first: 2
- Matches won by the team batting second: 6
- Highest team score while batting first: Sri Lanka – 210/4 (20) vs Bangladesh, 2018
- Lowest score while batting first: UAE – 116/9 (20) vs Zimbabwe, 2014
- Biggest total chased: Netherlands chased 189 vs Ireland, in 2014
- Lowest Score Defended: UAE defended 123 vs Ireland in 2014
- Sylhet Cricket Stadium average 1st innings score in T20I: 153
- Sylet average 2nd innings total in T20I: 143
- Best bowling figures for a spinner: Sean Williams (ZIM) – 3/15 vs UAE, 2014
- Best bowling figures for a pacer: Sheldon Cottrell (WI) – 4/28  vs Bangladesh, 2018
- Highest score by a batsman: Tom Cooper (NED) – 72*(58) vs Zimbabwe, 2014
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet Pitch Report
The last T20I here was played 5 years ago and if look at the past records at Sylhet pitch, it has remained mostly a low-scoring ground. However, the recent matches saw batters scoring well here as the average first innings total during BPL 2023 was 164. The pitch generally helps pacers and under overcast conditions during BAN vs AFG T20, pacers can play a vital role.
We rarely see a team successfully defending a total at Sylhet, so a shrewd captain will prefer to bowl first here. During BPL 2023, 8 games were played here and 6 times the team chasing a total emerged victorious.
Sylhet Weather during BAN vs AFG 2023 T20 Series
The weather is mostly cloudy in Sylhet today. As per the Accuweather report, thunderstorms can occur during 3 PM while rain is also predicted during the playing hours of 1st T20I. So we may see an interruption during the match. Talking about the 2nd T20, there are 40% chances of rain on July 16.
Sylhet Cricket Stadium Last T20 Match Scorecard
Sylhet hosted last T20 international game in 2018. It was a low scoring game between Bangladesh and West Indies. The hosts could only score 129 and the Men in Maroon chased it in just 10.5 overs.
| Bangladesh : 129-10 (19) | West Indies : 130-2 (10.5) |
| Shakib Al Hasan : 61(43) | Shai Hope : 55(23) |
| Ariful Haque : 17(18) | Keemo Paul : 28*(14) |
| Mahmudullah: 12(19) | Nicholas Pooran : 23*(17) |
| Sheldon Cottrell : 4 – 0 – 28 – 4 | Mahmuddulah : 2 – 0 – 13 – 1 |
| Keemo Paul : 4 – 0 – 23 – 2 | Mohammad Saifuddin : 1 – 0 – 13 – 1 |
| Carlos Brathwaite : 3 – 0 – 13 – 1 |
BAN vs AFG Last T20 Match Scorecard
Bangladesh last faced Afghanistan in a group match of Asia Cup 2022. It was played in Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Shakib Al Hasan-led side had suffered a 7-wicket defeat.
| Bangladesh : 127-7 (20) | Afghanistan : 131-3 (18.3) |
| Mosaddek Hossain : 48*(31) | Najibullah Zadran : 43*(17) |
| Mahmuddulah : 25(27) | Ibrahim Zadran : 42(41) |
| Mahedi Hasan : 14(12) | Hazratullah Zazai : 23(26) |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman : 4 – 0 – 16 – 3 | Mosaddek Hossain : 2.3 – 0 – 12 – 1 |
| Rashid Khan : 4 – 0 – 22 – 3 | Shakib Al Hasan : 4 – 0 – 13 – 1 |
| Mohammad Saifuddin : 2 – 0 – 27 – 1 |
