Bangladesh prevailed over Afghanistan by eight runs in a nerve-wracking Asia Cup 2025 match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 16, Tuesday. As a result, the Tigers have now inched closer to the top four as Afghanistan fell short, with the contest going into the final over of the innings.
Bangladesh captain Litton Das had won the toss earlier in the night and opted to bat first. They made full use of winning the toss as Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan shared a brisk 63-run stand only in 6.4 overs. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan broke the partnership and Tanzid was particularly destructive and top-scored with 52 off 31 deliveries, laced with four fours and three sixes. Towhid Hridoy chipped in with a cameo of 26 off 20 deliveries, while Nurul Hasan also contributed 12 off six balls in the end, lifting their side to 154/5 in 20 overs.
Along with Rashid, Noor Ahmad also picked up two wickets, while Azmatullah Omarzai snared one.
Afghanistan batters fail to convert starts and eventually lose the plot
Afghanistan's problems began in the first ball itself as left-arm spinner Nasum trapped the in-form Sediqullah Atal lbw first ball of the innings. They also lost Ibrahim Zadran cheaply, while Rishad Hossain broke the promising 33-run stand between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib by dismissing the former for 35.
The Afghans had gained some ground after being 77/5, reaching 109/5 until 15.4 overs when Omarzai was dismissed for 30. Things significantly tilted in Bangladesh's favour and it all came down to 22 needing off the final over but with only one wicket left. Although Noor smacked two sixes in the final over, Taskin dismissed him in the last ball to fashion a narrow victory.
Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of Bangladesh's bowlers with three scalps, while Nasum, Taskin and Rishad snared two each. With Bangladesh's matches done, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will face one another in what will be the final fixture of Group B.
