The Bangla Tigers, led by Shakib Al Hasan and supported by Rashid Khan, suffered a loss in their opening match of the Abu Dhabi T10 League against Morrisville Samp Army. While the team fell short, Shakib's individual performance stood out, delivering an economical bowling spell and claiming two crucial wickets.

Samp Army skipper Rohan Mustafa won the toss and opted to field first. Hazratullah Zazai and Luqman Faisal opened the innings for Bangla Tigers. However, an early blow saw Luqman departing after scoring just 5 runs off 7 balls. Dasun Shanaka joined Zazai at the crease, but both struggled to accelerate against Samp Army's disciplined bowling attack.

After eight overs, the Tigers had managed only 62 runs. However, the final over of the innings brought some fireworks. Shanaka, showcasing his batting prowess, smashed Rohan Mustafa for 31 runs, including four towering sixes. Shanaka finished unbeaten on 62 off 27 balls, while Zazai contributed 35 runs off 26 deliveries. The Bangla Tigers set a target of 107 runs after their allotted 10 overs, losing just one wicket.

Samp Army started their chase confidently, scoring 18 runs in the first two overs. Faf du Plessis began to dominate the proceedings, striking Rashid Khan for 15 runs in his opening over. Shakib brought himself into the attack and made an immediate impact, dismissing the dangerous Du Plessis.

Despite Shakib's efforts to control the run flow, other Bangla Tigers bowlers faltered. Shakib bowled a brilliant second over, giving away just 8 runs and removing Rohan Mustafa. His final figures read 2-0-15-2, a standout performance in an otherwise lackluster bowling display. Rashid Khan, in contrast, conceded 25 runs in his two overs.

Samp Army's middle order, led by Jack Taylor and Karim Janat, ensured a comfortable finish, securing victory with six wickets in hand and three balls to spare. Faf du Plessis scored 29 runs off 14 balls, while Andries Gous chipped in with 24 off 13 deliveries.