Bangladesh kept their Asia Cup 2025 campaign alive with a tense eight-run victory over Afghanistan in a must-win Group B clash in Abu Dhabi. In a match filled with momentum shifts, Bangladesh’s disciplined bowling and early batting platform proved just enough to edge out a spirited Afghan chase.
After winning the toss, Bangladesh chose to bat first and immediately set the tone with an aggressive start. Tanzid Hasan was the star at the top, smashing 52 off just 31 balls, mixing clean hitting with smart strike rotation. His powerplay dominance gave Bangladesh a strong base at 54/1 after six overs. Saif Hassan chipped in with a steady knock, and Towhid Hridoy played a crucial finishing cameo with 26 off 20 balls. While Bangladesh might have targeted a bigger total at one stage, they still closed on 154/5—enough to give their bowlers something to defend on a slow surface.
Afghanistan’s chase started poorly as Sediqullah Atal fell without scoring, followed soon by Ibrahim Zadran, leaving them 12/2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz attempted to rebuild, compiling a patient 35 under pressure, but the Bangladeshi spinners never allowed him or others to fully dominate. Nasum Ahmed was particularly frugal, returning figures of 2/11 from his four overs, squeezing the run flow and creating pressure that led to wickets at crucial moments.
Rishad Hossain chipped in with two timely strikes, including the dismissal of Najibullah Zadran just as Afghanistan threatened to counterattack. Mustafizur Rahman once again showcased his mastery of the death overs, mixing cutters and yorkers expertly to pick up 3/28. Taskin Ahmed backed him up with pace and discipline, ensuring there was no easy release for the Afghan batters in the final stretch.
The game came down to the last two overs with Afghanistan needing 30 runs. Noor Ahmad gave them brief hope, smashing two sixes in the 19th over, but Mustafizur’s calm execution under pressure in the final over sealed the result. The last Afghan wicket fell on the final ball, leaving them stranded at 146 and eight runs short of the target.
This result is a huge relief for Bangladesh, who came into the match under pressure following their opening loss. The victory keeps them mathematically alive for a Super 4 berth, but their net run rate remains negative, meaning their path to qualification still depends on a combination of results and possibly a convincing win in their final group game.
For Afghanistan, the defeat will sting given the fight they showed late in the innings. Their inability to build partnerships in the middle overs and handle Bangladesh’s spinners ultimately cost them the game.
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