
Bangladesh was handed a defeat in the first match of the ODI series against Afghanistan. Responsible batting from Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi guided the Afghans to a comfortable five-wicket victory with 17 balls to spare.
In the first match of the three-game ODI series at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (October 8), the Mehidy Hasan Miraz-led Bangladesh side lost by five wickets. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Bangladesh was bowled out for 221 in 48.5 overs.
Bangladesh Innings
Bangladesh got off to a poor start, losing Tanzid Hasan Tamim in the fourth over, followed shortly by Najmul Hossain Shanto. Saif Hassan tried to build a partnership with Towhid Hridoy but was caught out attempting a six on his debut. He scored 26 off 37 balls with five fours.
After losing three wickets for just 53 runs, Hridoy and Miraz cautiously took the team forward. The first 50 runs took 10 overs, but it took another 16 overs to reach 100. Hridoy scored his tenth career fifty before being run out due to a mix-up for 56 off 85 balls, breaking a crucial 101-run partnership.
Following Hridoy's dismissal, Captain Miraz also fell soon after, being dismissed leg-before-wicket by a Rashid Khan googly. Miraz, who has a strong record against Afghanistan, scored 60 off 87 balls.
With the wicket of Miraz, Rashid Khan completed 200 ODI wickets in just 115 matches (107 innings), becoming the second-fastest spinner in the world to reach this milestone, surpassed only by Pakistan's legendary Saqlain Mushtaq.
Lower-order batsmen Zaker Ali Anik and Nurul Hasan Sohan failed to contribute significantly. Tanzim Hasan Sakib scored 17 to push the team past 200, and Tanvir Islam finished the innings with a four and a six. For Afghanistan, Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai were the pick of the bowlers, each taking three wickets.
Afghanistan Chase
In response, Afghanistan got a positive start from openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, bringing up a fifty-run opening partnership within nine overs. Tanvir Islam broke the partnership by stumping Ibrahim.
After Tanzim Hasan Sakib dismissed Sediqullah Atal, Afghanistan's run rate slowed. However, Rahmat Shah and Gurbaz settled down to build a solid 78-run partnership, with both batsmen reaching their individual fifties.
Sakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz then struck in consecutive overs, dismissing Rahmat and Gurbaz, who also scored exactly 50 runs. Despite the quick wickets, Bangladesh failed to apply sufficient pressure. Instead, the fifth-wicket pair of Azmatullah Omarzai and Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi added 59 runs, virtually sealing the victory.
Omarzai, who scored a quick-fire 40 off 44 balls, was eventually caught after hitting a hat-trick of fours in a Sakib over. Shahidi then completed the easy chase with Mohammad Nabi.
Match Summary
| Team | Innings Score | Wickets | Overs | Top Scorer |
| Bangladesh | 221 | All Out | 48.5 |
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (60)
|
| Afghanistan | 226 | 5 | 47.1 |
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (50) / Rahmat Shah (50)
|
Result: Afghanistan won by 5 wickets.
Player of the Match: Azmatullah Omarzai (3/40 & 40 runs)
The two teams will meet again for the second ODI on Saturday at the same venue, the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.




