Tanzid and the bowlers help Bangladesh stay in the game with a close win over Afghanistan

Tanzid and the bowlers help Bangladesh stay in the game with a close win over Afghanistan

Asia Cup 2025: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Bangladesh bowlers led by Mustafizur Rahman helped keep their team stay alive in the tournament as they defeated Afghanistan by 8 runs.

Bangladesh’s narrow 8-run win over Afghanistan wasn’t just about the final score it was about how they set the tone early and held their nerve late.

The game was decided in the first six overs. Bangladesh, usually known for starting slowly, changed their approach this time. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Saif Hassan kicked things off strongly, scoring 63 runs during the power play without losing a wicket. This fast start gave them some cushion, even though Afghanistan’s spinners applied pressure in the middle overs. At the halfway mark, they were at 87/1 but only managed to score 67 more runs, ending with 154/5 a total that seemed small but turned out to be enough.

In contrast, Afghanistan’s chase was troubled early. Nasum Ahmed struck with the very first ball, and his tight spell in the powerplay restricted them to just 27/2. That 32-run gap in the first six overs became the defining margin. Rishad Hossain’s double strike in the middle overs and Mustafizur Rahman’s calm execution at the death sealed the deal, despite late fireworks from Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan.

Bangladesh’s win wasn’t just about individual brilliance it was about timing their punches. They landed early blows, absorbed pressure, and finished strong. For a team fighting to stay alive in the Asia Cup, this was a statement performance

Bangladesh Innings

Bangladesh finally got their opening combo right. Saif Hassan looked shaky at first he was nearly caught and even took a hit on the helmet. But he settled in with a few boundaries, including a big six. Tanzid Hasan Tamim had some luck early on with a couple of edges flying for fours, and an LBW appeal going his way. Once settled, he played some confident strokes, smashing two sixes in the sixth over. Together, they gave Bangladesh their first 50+ opening stand in 12 matches a huge boost.

Rashid Khan broke the opening stand by bowling Saif. Nabi kept things tight from the other end. Tanzid tried to keep the momentum going with a six, and Litton Das rotated the strike well. But Noor Ahmad made an instant impact he trapped Litton LBW with his first ball. Tanzid reached his fifty but was soon caught in the deep. Towhid Hridoy hit a six, and along with Shamim Hossain, helped Bangladesh stay steady heading into the final phase.

Rashid Khan finished his spell with another wicket, removing Shamim cheaply. Noor Ahmad and Farooqi bowled tight overs, giving away very few runs. Omarzai got rid of Hridoy in the 19th over, and Farooqi closed things out with another tidy over. Bangladesh could only manage three boundaries in the last five overs two of them from Nurul Hasan. What looked like a 170+ score ended at 154/5, a bit underwhelming given their strong start.

Afghanistan Innings

Bangladesh started well with Nasum Ahmed getting Sediqullah Atal out LBW on his very first ball, bowling a wicket maiden. Taskin bowled with great accuracy, and even though Ibrahim Zadran got a second chance with a dropped catch, Nasum got him out LBW shortly after. Afghanistan could only score 27 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in the first six overs.

Gulbadin and Gurbaz tried to get back on track, hitting some boundaries off Shamim. However, Rishad Hossain took Gulbadin's wicket with a catch and then got Gurbaz out with a top-edged sweep. Nabi hit a six, but Mustafizur bowled him out. Omarzai gave Afghanistan a boost with 20 runs in one over, but Rishad maintained the pressure.

Omarzai hit a six off Taskin but was out not long after. Rashid Khan hit a no-look six and a boundary, keeping their hopes alive. Janat was run out, and Nasum ended his spell with figures of 2/11. Mustafizur took out Rashid and Ghazanfar in the 19th over. Noor hit two sixes in the last over, but Afghanistan ended up falling 8 runs short.