In one of the most dramatic finishes in recent cricket history, Bangladesh pulled off a miraculous comeback against Ireland, thanks to a world record-breaking last-wicket partnership that virtually ended the Irish hopes of qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2025.
Chasing a modest target of 232, Bangladesh found themselves reeling at 128 for 9, staring down the barrel of a shocking defeat. But what followed left fans speechless and statisticians scrambling. No. 10 and No. 11 batters, Nasum Ahmed and Shoriful Islam, stitched together an unbelievable 104-run partnership, rewriting the record books and sealing a sensational win for the Tigers.
This tail-end stand is now officially the highest 10th-wicket partnership in ODI World Cup Qualifier history, surpassing the previous record held by Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed (101 runs) set in 1994.
“It’s unreal. We just wanted to survive for a few overs — not chase down a hundred!” said Shoriful Islam, who remained unbeaten on 46 off 38 balls.
Nasum, the more aggressive of the two, smashed a career-best 61 off 49 deliveries*, striking 5 fours and 3 sixes to swing momentum back in Bangladesh’s favor. The pair calmly chipped away at the total with a combination of grit, smart running, and clean hitting, stunning Ireland into silence.
For Ireland, it was heartbreak. They had dominated 85% of the match, with pacer Josh Little and spinner Andy McBrine sharing 7 wickets between them. But their inability to dislodge the final pair has now left them teetering at the edge of World Cup elimination.
“It’s crushing. We had them. One wicket away,” said Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie. “Credit to Bangladesh. They showed nerves of steel.”
Bangladesh stay unbeaten in the Super Six stage of the qualifiers. Ireland must now rely on a series of improbable results — including big-margin wins and other upsets — to sneak into the top two. The win adds to Bangladesh’s growing reputation for comeback victories under pressure.
The cricketing world is abuzz with the miracle in Chattogram — a match that will long be remembered for the courage of two unlikely heroes who refused to give up.
