There had been speculation in the air about what might happen if Bangladesh stumbled against the Netherlands in the lead-up to the Asia Cup. Pre-series press conferences were dominated by such questions, with skipper Litton Das and head coach Phil Simmons repeatedly stressing that the Dutch should not be underestimated — in T20 cricket, anything can happen.

But the Tigers left no doubts in the first T20I at a packed Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, cruising to a comfortable eight-wicket victory with 39 balls to spare, chasing down 138 with authority.

Bangladesh’s dominance was clear across both batting and bowling departments, leaving the visitors struggling to find a foothold.

Taskin Ahmed set the tone with the ball, making early inroads into the Dutch top order. He removed Max O’Dowd for 23 in the fourth over with a sharply directed length ball that was safely pouched by Jaker Ali at short cover. He struck again in the eighth over, sending back Vikramjit Singh for just four as the Netherlands failed to accelerate.

Taskin’s blend of pace, subtle variations, and disciplined lines reaped rich rewards, as he finished with four wickets for 28 runs off four overs, later dismissing Kyle Klein (9) and Noah Croes (11) to seal a memorable spell.

Saif Hassan, returning to the T20I fold after nearly four years, made an immediate impact. Brought on in the 10th over, he removed both Teja Nidamanuru (26) and Dutch skipper Scott Edwards (12) in the same over, swinging the momentum decisively in Bangladesh’s favour.

Saif’s two-wicket cameo complemented Taskin’s earlier performance perfectly.

Though not required to bat extensively, he contributed a breezy 36* from 19 balls, including three towering sixes, aiding Litton Das in steering the chase.

The captain played a masterful innings, scoring 54* off 29 balls, including six fours and two sixes.

Together with Saif, he shared an unbroken 46-run partnership to reach 138 for 2 in just 13.3 overs at a brisk run rate of 10.22.

Earlier starts by Parvez Hossain Emon (15) and Tanzid Hasan (29) laid the foundation, but it was Litton and Saif who ensured a commanding finish.

For the visitors, Aryan Dutt and Tim Pringle picked up a wicket each.

Taskin was adjudged the player of the match for his fiery four-for.

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(The writer can be reached at: [email protected])