The T20 series between Bangladesh and Pakistan began on Jan 24, 2020 when the first T20 was played. The Bangladeshi team had performed exceptionally well against India in the T20s in November 2019. There were a few changes in both of the squads. Pakistan team included players like Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, etc. in their squad, whereas in the Bangladeshi team, the opener Tamim Iqbal made a comeback to the national squad. Tamim Iqbal had played his last T20I match in December 2018 against West Indies.
The first T20 match was played on Friday (Jan 24) at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The Bangladeshi team won the toss and opted to bat first. Pakistan team included Ahsan Ali and Haris Rauf, whereas Rubel Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were not included in Bangladeshi squad. The wicket was projected to get better in the second half of the game. The weather forecast seemed perfect, with a high of 19 degrees. Also, this T20 match was the second game that would be played in the day at this stadium in the last six years.
While batting first, the Bangladeshi team had scored 141 runs with the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. The highest scorer was Mohammad Naim, who scored 43 runs in 41 balls and lifted the team to a good score. Shaheen Afridi was an economical bowler. He gave only 23 runs in 4 overs and took one crucial wicket. Pakistani team chased this total in 19.3 overs with the loss of 5 wickets. Shoaib Malik was the highest run-scorer. He scored 58 runs in 45 balls. Shafiul Islam was the best bowler from Bangladesh. He gave only 27 runs in 4 overs and took two important wickets. Shoaib Malik was awarded as Man of the Match for his magnificent performance.