Zimbabwe's top order struggled to get going in the powerplay. Despite losing only one wicket - Tadiwanshe Marumani lbw to Taskin - they kept hitting the fielders or were late with their shots. They scored just 22 runs in their first six overs, failing to hit a boundary for only the second time in T20 cricket. It was also only the second time Bangladesh had failed to concede a boundary in the powerplay.
Joylord Gumbie finally found the boundary in the seventh over but fell in the next, holing out to mid-off for 17, the lowest score by a Zimbabwe opener in an innings of at least 30 balls. Rishad's double strike in the tenth over came at a crucial stage in the match, removing Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza and Clive Madande, their top scorer from the first T20I.
Craig Ervine's mistimed sweep off Mahedi Hasan reduced Zimbabwe to 42 for 5 in the 11th over and another sub-par total looked inevitable.