Liton breaks Ashraful's record for fastest fifty in T20Is by a Bangladeshi

Opener Liton Das scored an 18-ball fifty to become the fastest Bangladeshi to the landmark score in T20Is as Bangladesh got off to a flying start in their second T20I against Ireland at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today. 

Liton got to the landmark score in the fifth over with a single as he broke the record of Mohammad Ashraful, whose 20-ball fifty against West Indies in the 2007 T20 World Cup was the fastest fifty by a Bangladeshi. 

Bangladesh openers continued to bat with an aggressive intent as the Tigers scored the fastest team 100 in just 43 deliveries. 

Liton started by putting a Mark Adair delivery for a four through the fine leg in the second over. The right-hander only upped the ante since then, smashing Adair for a six, and two back-to-back fours in his next over.  

Liton, after a 41-ball 83-run carnage, which is also his career-best T20I score, was dismissed in the 12th over. Liton also starred in a Bangladesh record 124-run opening stand with Rony Talukdar. 

Meanwhile, Liton's opening partner Rony Talukdar hit the first boundary of the game when he smashed Mark Adair over mid-on in the first ball of the second over. Rony, unlike Liton, has struggled to connect the ball properly -- evident from how he scored his second boundary which only ran to the boundary line through the fine leg region after a thick inside edge off a Graham Hume delivery.