Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in a crucial Group B match of the Asia Cup 2025, today, September 16 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Both teams are eyeing a spot in the top four, making this match very important.
Currently, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have 2 points each, but the Tigers have already played two matches – one more than Afghanistan. This is Bangladesh’s final group-stage game and the result will play a major role in deciding their tournament fate.
Afghanistan lead the group with a net run rate of 4.700, Sri Lanka is second at 2.595, while Bangladesh has a net run rate of -0.650. This makes today’s game a must-win for the Tigers.
The match starts at 8:00 PM IST and will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Networks in India. Fans can also stream it on the FanCode and Sony LIV apps or websites.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Head-to-head record
The rivalry between Bangladesh and Afghanistan has grown quickly. Since 2014, they have faced each other five times in the Asia Cup across ODI and T20 formats.
Afghanistan leads with three wins, while Bangladesh has won twice. Bangladesh’s wins include a memorable close victory in 2018, while Afghanistan’s wins feature a convincing triumph in 2022.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Weather and pitch report
The weather in Abu Dhabi will be mostly sunny with a few clouds. The temperature will be hot, reaching around 37°C, during the day and staying warm at night around 31°C. Winds will blow at 6–16 mph from different directions. Humidity will be fairly high, around 70–75%, according to Accuweather.
The Abu Dhabi pitch has favored aggressive batting, but bowlers have also found some assistance. The average first-innings score here is around 135 runs.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Probable playing XIs
Bangladesh: Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das (c & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Bangladesh batting concerns
Bangladesh’s batting has struggled, especially against Sri Lanka. The top order collapsed, leaving Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain to rescue the innings with an unbeaten 86-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Once again, skipper Litton Das, who scored a half-century against Hong Kong, will be expected to anchor the innings.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Afghanistan’s formidable attack
Afghanistan brings a strong spin lineup, featuring captain Rashid Khan, veteran Mohammad Nabi, left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad, and rising star AM Ghazanfar. This attack is well-suited to Abu Dhabi’s conditions. Afghanistan comes into the match with confidence after beating Pakistan and winning twice against the UAE in a T20I tri-series.
Their batting is equally strong, combining power hitting and solid technique. Even after rotating half their squad in a dead rubber against the UAE, they managed to win comfortably.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Squads
Bangladesh: Litton Das (c & wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin.
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.