Mahmudullah’s Blistering 73 Not Enough as Bangladesh Lose to Australia Champions
Published : 11:10, 8 October 2026
Bangladesh Champions fought hard but could not avoid defeat against Australia Champions in Sharjah. Mahmudullah Riyad’s side suffered a 37-run loss in the World Championship of Legends.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Australia got off to a shaky start. Abu Jayed Rahi struck twice early, dismissing Usman Khawaja and D’Arcy Short as Australia slipped to 27 runs. Joe Burns also departed with the score on 36.
David Warner and Callum Ferguson then turned the innings around. Warner smashed 66 off 38 balls, including seven fours and four sixes, while Ferguson scored 63 from 36 deliveries with seven fours and two sixes.
Ben Dunk provided the late acceleration with an unbeaten 45 off 24 balls as Australia reached 203 for 6 in 20 overs.
For Bangladesh, Abu Jayed Rahi was the leading bowler with three wickets for 46 runs from four overs. Ziaur Rahman claimed two wickets.
Chasing 204, Bangladesh lost Rony Talukdar early for 9. Imrul Kayes then scored 41 from 30 balls, while Fazle Mahmud contributed 27 off 20 deliveries. However, Bangladesh lost wickets at crucial moments and came under pressure.
Captain Mahmudullah produced a spectacular counterattack, remaining unbeaten on 73 from just 35 balls. His innings included two fours and eight sixes, with a remarkable strike rate of 208.57.
Despite his explosive effort, Bangladesh could only reach 166 for 6 in their 20 overs, falling 37 runs short of the target.
The defeat was Bangladesh Champions’ second consecutive loss in the tournament, while Australia Champions secured their first victory from their second match.
