Bangladesh vs Afghanistan – Asia Cup 2025 Match Highlights

Match Summary

Bangladesh 154/5 (20 overs) beat Afghanistan 146 (20 overs) by 8 runs

Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Match: 9th Match, Group B – Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Toss: Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first
Result: Bangladesh won by 8 runs

Key Match Details

Bangladesh Innings – 154/5 (20 overs)

• Tanzid Hasan: 52 (31 balls, 4×6s, 2×4s) – Player of the Match performance
• Saif Hassan: 30 – Solid supporting knock
• Captain Litton Das: Contributed significantly to the total
• Best Bowling: Noor Ahmad 2/23 (4 overs), Rashid Khan 2/26 (4 overs)

Bangladesh got off to a flying start in the powerplay, scoring 59 runs in the first six overs, with Tanzid Hasan leading the charge. However, Afghanistan’s spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad pulled things back in the middle overs, restricting Bangladesh to just 41 runs in the final six overs.

Afghanistan Innings – 146 (20 overs)

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 35 – Top scorer for Afghanistan
• Target: 155 runs to win
• Best Bowling: Mustafizur Rahman 3/28 (4 overs), Nasum Ahmed 2/11 (4 overs), Rishad Hossain 2/18 (4 overs)

Afghanistan’s chase was derailed from the very first ball when Nasum Ahmed trapped Sediqullah Atal LBW. They managed only 27 runs in the powerplay while losing two crucial wickets, setting the tone for a difficult chase.

Match-Winning Performances

Player of the Match: Nasum Ahmed (Bangladesh)

• Bowling: 2/11 in 4 overs
• Economy Rate: 2.75
• Impact: Delivered a devastating opening over and controlled the powerplay

Key Contributors

For Bangladesh:

• Tanzid Hasan: 52 (31) – Explosive opening knock with fortune and flair
• Mustafizur Rahman: 3/28 – Death bowling masterclass
• Rishad Hossain: 2/18 – Excellent spin bowling through middle overs
• Taskin Ahmed: 2/34 – Crucial wickets at the death

For Afghanistan:

• Noor Ahmad: 2/23 – Excellent spin bowling to restrict Bangladesh
• Rashid Khan: 2/26 – Captain’s effort with the ball
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 35 – Fought valiantly in the chase

Match Turning Points

1. First Ball Wicket: Nasum Ahmed’s LBW dismissal of Sediqullah Atal set the tone
2. Powerplay Dominance: Bangladesh scored 59/1 in first six overs
3. Spin Stranglehold: Afghanistan’s middle-over bowling restricted Bangladesh
4. Death Bowling: Mustafizur and Taskin held their nerve in final overs
5. Gurbaz Dismissal: Key wicket after drinks break started Afghanistan’s collapse

Group B Implications

This victory was crucial for Bangladesh’s Asia Cup campaign:

• Moved Bangladesh above Afghanistan in Group B points table
• Kept Bangladesh’s Super Four qualification hopes alive
• Set up a dependency on Afghanistan beating Sri Lanka by a large margin
• Afghanistan still needed to beat Sri Lanka to secure Super Four spot

Post-Match Reactions

Bangladesh Captain Litton Das:

“Winning the game is a little bit of a relief, but at the same time, we didn’t bat well in the last four or five overs. Until I got out, we were there, but we just couldn’t finish it up. The next game is a big one against Sri Lanka. We need to be well-prepared.”

Afghanistan Captain Rashid Khan:

“30 runs in 15 balls nowadays is very achievable, but at that time, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and couldn’t execute our shots well. The way we came back with the bowling was a huge job done.”

Statistical Highlights

• First T20I win for Bangladesh vs Afghanistan overseas
• Bangladesh’s powerplay: 59/1 (6 overs) – dominated early
• Afghanistan’s powerplay: 27/2 (6 overs) – struggled under pressure
• Nasum Ahmed’s spell: Most economical bowling performance of the match
• Tanzid’s strike rate: 167.74 – aggressive intent at the top
• Match margin: 8 runs – closest game of Asia Cup 2025 so far

Tournament Context

This match was the 9th fixture of Asia Cup 2025, part of Group B action that has seen:

• Afghanistan’s 94-run win over Hong Kong
• Sri Lanka’s dominance with three group wins
• Bangladesh’s heavy defeat to Sri Lanka earlier
• High-stakes cricket with Super Four qualification on the line

The victory ensured that Group B remained wide open, with all teams except Hong Kong still having mathematical chances of qualifying for the Super Four stage.

Match Officials & Venue Details

Venue Information:

• Ground: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
• Capacity: 20,000
• Pitch: Initially favored batsmen but became challenging
• Weather: Hot conditions typical of UAE cricket
• Average first innings score: Around 135 at this venue

This thrilling encounter showcased the competitive nature of Asia Cup 2025 and demonstrated why T20 cricket continues to captivate audiences with its unpredictable outcomes and match-changing moments.