Romania vs Bulgaria – T20 Internationals 2026 Match Report | Statz
Romania won by 31 runs in the 71st match of 102 in the T20 Internationals 2026 season, played at the Moara Vlasiei Cricket Ground in Ilfov County. It was a comprehensive home win for Romania, who now lead the head-to-head record against Bulgaria 5-1 across six meetings – their only loss coming back in October 2020.
Romania Bat First: Husain Steers the Innings
Romania won the toss and elected to bat. Opener Taranjeet Singh got them off to a bright start – 9 off 6 with two fours – before falling LBW at 16/1 in the second over. Ramesh Satheesan (24 off 17, SR 141) and Avishka Iroshan (12 off 15) steadied before Satheesan fell caught at 55/2 (over 5.1). Iroshan departed shortly after at 66/3 (over 6.2).
Vasu Saini injected momentum with 21 off 11 at a strike rate of 191, hitting three fours before going LBW at 86/4 (over 8.6). Chamalka Fernando (11 off 13) fell at 92/5 (over 9.6). The innings then wobbled through the middle overs – Tharindu Sandaruwan Hettihewage (9 off 13) out at 106/6, Eranga De Silva (7 off 8) bowled at 129/7 – before Irfan Husain arrived and changed the game.
Husain blazed 40 off 23 balls (SR 174, 4 fours and a six) to lift Romania to 152/8 at over 17.4 before he fell caught. Dilum Fernando (7 off 7) went at 162/9 before Shantanu Vashisht (8 off 7) was caught on the last ball of the innings. Romania were all out for 164 in 19.2 overs.
For Bulgaria, Prakash Mishra was the standout bowler with 3/20 from 4 overs (economy 5.00), backed by Anthony Dowling with 4/28 from 3.2 overs and Jakob Gul (1/28 from 4).
Bulgaria Chase Falls Short: Double Wicket Blow Ends the Contest
Bulgaria needed 165 to win. Their chase started poorly – opener Hristo Lakov bowled for 2 off 7 at 10/1 (over 2.1), and Milen Gogev caught for a duck at 10/2 (over 2.3) by Josak Khadka.
Isa Zaroo and Kushaal Krishnakumar steadied with a partnership that took Bulgaria from 10/2 to 93, before both fell in the space of two balls. Zaroo was bowled for 49 off 47 at 93/3 (over 14.6) – the anchor of the innings – then Krishnakumar was caught for 31 off 35 at 93/4 (over 15.1). At that point Bulgaria needed 72 from 29 balls with only 6 wickets in hand.
Manan Bashir hit 11 off 10 (one six) before falling at 109/5 (over 17.3). Jakob Gul launched three sixes in a 21 off 10 cameo but was caught at 133/6 (over 19.3). Bulgaria finished on 133/6 from 20 overs – 31 runs short. Firas Hussain (6* off 6) and Anthony Dowling (0* off 3) saw out the overs.
For Romania, Irfan Husain took 1/29 from 4 overs, with Josak Khadka picking up 2/20 from 4 overs (economy 5.00). Vasu Saini chipped in with 1/28 from 4 overs.
Statz MVP: Irfan Husain
Irfan Husain takes the Statz MVP award with a rating of 108.95. Statz calculates impact based on match context – and Husain delivered on both fronts, smashing 40 off 23 in the first innings to rescue a wobbling Romania innings, then taking 1/29 with the ball to help restrict Bulgaria in the chase. There is no official Man of the Match for this fixture.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Irfan Husain (Romania) – 108.95 | 40 off 23 + 1/29 – match-winning all-round display
- Prakash Mishra (Bulgaria) – 107.42 | 3/20 from 4 overs, economy 5.00 – best figures of the match
- Jakob Gul (Bulgaria) – 82.24 | 1/28 bowling + 21 off 10 (SR 210, 3 sixes) in the chase
- Vasu Saini (Romania) – 75.47 | 21 off 11 batting (SR 191) + 1/28 bowling
- Josak Khadka (Romania) – 70.51 | 2/20 from 4 overs, economy 5.00, key early breakthrough
Turning Point
The match turned in the 15th over. Isa Zaroo was bowled for 49 at the score of 93/3 in over 14.6, then Kushaal Krishnakumar was caught off the next delivery at 93/4 (over 15.1). Two wickets in two balls wiped out the third and fourth wicket partnership in an instant. Bulgaria had been building a genuine chase – suddenly they were 93/4 with 72 still needed from 29 balls. The game was over at that moment.
Match Context
This was the 71st match of 102 in the 2026 T20 Internationals season. There are no points-table standings for associate T20I fixtures – these matches are part of ICC bilateral programming rather than a league format. Romania extended their head-to-head dominance over Bulgaria to 5-1, having lost just once in six meetings (October 2020 at Moara Vlasiei). Bulgaria travel home with plenty to work on – they were competitive to the halfway stage of their chase before the collapse.
