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Najmul Hossain Shanto: In a historic encounter on Wednesday, Bangladesh scripted a memorable five-wicket triumph over New Zealand in the opening game of their three-match T20I series.

The victory not only marked Bangladesh's first-ever Twenty20 win on New Zealand soil but also followed closely on the heels of their maiden away one-day international triumph over the Black Caps in the same city just four days prior.

Opting to bowl after winning the toss, Bangladesh's bowlers delivered a stunning performance, restricting New Zealand to a below-par total on a two-paced Napier surface. Shoriful Islam's early exploits saw him finish with impressive figures of 3 for 26, while Mustafizur Rahman's variations earned him 2 for 15 in his four overs. Mahedi Hasan was the star with both bat and ball, initiating New Zealand's batting collapse with a wicket in the first over and later contributing an unbeaten 16-ball 19 with the bat.