Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Highlights, Asia Cup 2025: Bangladesh beat Afghanistan to stay alive in Super 4s race

Taskin Ahmed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Taskin Ahmed begins with a hard-length delivery, on middle, takes off a bit, Rahmanullah Gurbaz tries to ride the bounce and keeps it out off the splice of the bat.

Rested in the previous game against Sri Lanka, here's Taskin Ahmed into the attack from the far end.

Nasum Ahmed to Ibrahim Zadran, WICKET-MAIDEN OVER! Another arm ball, full and on middle, Ibrahim Zadran drives it to mid off.

Nasum Ahmed to Ibrahim Zadran, Tossed up, full and on middle, Ibrahim Zadran knocks it down the pitch.

Nasum Ahmed to Ibrahim Zadran, Short again and on middle, Ibrahim Zadran nudges it to mid-wicket and wants the run but is sent back.

Nasum Ahmed to Ibrahim Zadran, Flatter, short and on off, Ibrahim Zadran stabs it out to the off side.

Nasum Ahmed to Ibrahim Zadran, Floated, full and on off, Ibrahim Zadran pushes it back to the bowler.

Ibrahim Zadran is in at 3.

Nasum Ahmed to Sediqullah Atal, OUT! LBW! What a dream start for Nasum Ahmed and Bangladesh! They are absolutely pumped, and why shouldn't they be? The change to bring Nasum back in the team and giving him the new ball has worked wonders for the Bangla Tigers. Coming to the delivery, this is the arm ball, full and on middle, skids through and angles in too. Sediqullah Atal is caught in his crease and looks to work it across the line but plays down the wrong line, and gets hit on the pads right in front of the stumps. There is a big shout for LBW, and up goes the finger. Atal has a chat with his partner, but does not take the review. He walks back for a golden duck, and Afghanistan are 0/1!

Welcome back for Afghanistan's response with the bat. Litton Das leads his troops out to the middle as the Bangladeshi players spread out to their fielding positions. The man in form, Sediqullah Atal, will be partnered by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is searching for some runs. And interestingly, spin to start with. Nasum Ahmed will open the attack for Bangladesh.  Sediqullah to face. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Bangladesh might feel they left out 15-20 runs, given the way they started off in the Powerplay. And the pressure is rightly on them to defend this total. They have won only 1 out of 4 T20Is at Abu Dhabi and have lost all three of their matches, while defending. But as we all know, these stats don't matter in the present. It is all about putting in a united bowling effort to restrict this buoyant Afghan side, who have a very strong track record of 12 wins out of 17 T20Is at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Remember, a victory here will seal Afghanistan’s place in the Super 4s, sending them through alongside Sri Lanka and ending Bangladesh’s campaign. For Bangladesh, even a win won’t be enough on its own because of their inferior net run rate. Their only hope then would be for Sri Lanka to defeat Afghanistan in the final match of Group B, keeping the door to qualification ever so slightly open. It is all shaping up to be a cracker of a run chase with so many stakes on the line. 

Spin is the king, once again, and this has been proved by a team with a luxury of spin bowling options. They utilised four spinners, and all four dished out deceptive variations that just choked the scoring in that middle phase. The batters couldn't form steady partnerships post Tanzid's wicket and slipped from 87/1 to 121/4. In a combined effort of 13 overs, the spinners gave 98 runs, and shared 4 wickets among them, two each for Noor and skipper Rashid. AM Ghazanfar was a bit on the expensive side. And those efforts were magnificently backed up by the two seamers closing out in the end. 

But once Saif was dismissed in Rashid's first over, with that 63-run partnership broken, there was a bit of calm brought in by the tweakers in the middle overs. Bangladesh weren't able to fully capitalise on the kind of launchpad the two Hasans provided early doors as the spin continued to stranglehold. Boundaries dried up and runs did not come at a fair clip, but Tanzid kept sending one or two to the fence on some occasions and got off to his fifty as well. However, with Noor Ahmad coming up trumps and picking up two big wickets, the scoring took a significant dip. And in that 7-15 over phase, Bangladesh could score only 60 runs, losing three big wickets.

With the ball swinging and bouncing, the Bangladeshi openers initially looked like cats on the hot tin roof, failing to get the timing right with a lot of false strokes induced. But once settled, Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan found boundaries, albeit surviving a few close calls. Afghanistan didn't bowl poorly at all, but couldn't convert the chances. Hence, the Powerplay went Bangladesh's way. The first three overs went for just 24 runs, but the next three went for 35, with 59/0 on the board, at the end of the field restrictions.

A pleasing finish for Afghanistan with the ball. 5 precious dots, and just 15 runs conceded in the last 2 overs. One key area for improvement for the Afghans was the slog overs bowling-wise, and they have improved in that phase massively in this important clash. Overall, it has been a proper tussle between bat and ball, but with wickets in hand, and still failing to score 10 runs or more in an over, Bangladesh will feel they left out a few runs here.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jaker Ali, Fazalhaq Farooqi bowls a full toss, but gets away with it! This is on middle and Jaker Ali mistimes the slog towards deep mid-wicket for just a couple. Bangladesh finish on 154/5!

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jaker Ali, Fine bowling! Fazalhaq Farooqi sees the batter back away and bangs in a slower bouncer, on leg, Jaker Ali looks to pull it away but misses. 5 dots in the last 8 balls, not ideal for Bangladesh!

A slight halt! Nurul Hasan is down on the ground, looking in discomfort. The physio has rushed out to tend to him. He removes his right shoe and is now getting a bit of a massage there. Probably some issue with his right ankle. The ankle area is now getting strapped up and Nurul eventually gets back on his feet, ready to continue.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nurul Hasan, Back of a length and outside off, Nurul Hasan slaps it to long off for just a single.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nurul Hasan, FOUR! Cheeky and effective! Slower one, back of a length and on middle, Nurul Hasan moves across early to get inside the line of it and scoops it over the keeper and to the fine leg fence for a boundary. 150 up for Bangladesh!

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nurul Hasan, Pitched up and on middle again, Nurul Hasan thumps it to the right of the bowler, Fazalhaq Farooqi gets a hand on it but only to parry it away as the batters get two runs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Nurul Hasan, Fuller and on middle, Nurul Hasan drills it down the pitch, where Fazalhaq Farooqi gets a foot on it on the follow-through to take the sting out of it. Hasan wants the run but is sent back. Farooqi collects and hits the stumps at the batter's end, but Nurul is safe.

Fazalhaq Farooqi (3-0-28-0) to bowl the final over of the first inning.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jaker Ali, Three precious dots to end the over! Excellent from Azmatullah Omarzai! He nails the wide yorker, outside off, Jaker Ali fails to dig it out. Just 6 runs and a wicket from the penultimate over.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jaker Ali, Another one! Not good batting at all! This is a slower one, full and just outside off, Jaker Ali goes down to slog it over mid-wicket but only connects with thin air.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Jaker Ali, Swing and a miss! Azmatullah Omarzai lands this on a hard length and around off, Jaker Ali crouches low and has a wild heave across the line, takes his eyes off the ball as well and misses.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Nurul Hasan, Pitched up and around off, Nurul Hasan moves across again to slog it across the line but gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball rolls towards covers. They cross.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Nurul Hasan, WIDE! Loses his grip completely and serves this on a length, way, way outside off, Nurul Hasan moves across a long way to the off side, and throws his bat at it but misses. The third umpire is called in to check whether this pitched outside the pitch or not. After seeing the replays, it is deemed that it is just a wide and not a No Ball.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Nurul Hasan, FOUR! Up and over! Low full toss around off, Nurul Hasan reaches out and just gets enough power to lift it over the mid off fielder for a boundary.

Nurul Hasan is in at 7.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Tawhid Hridoy, OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! Azmatullah Omarzai with a timely wicket for Afghanistan! He goes fuller and wide outside off, Tawhid Hridoy does the right thing by staying deep inside his crease and carving it away nicely. However, unfortunately for him, he hits it flat and aerially straight towards sweeper covers. He doesn't get the required distance, and Karim Janat takes a couple of steps forward, crouches low, and takes a good catch. Hridoy departs for 26 off 20, and Bangladesh are 139/5 now!

Azmatullah Omarzai (2-0-13-0) to bowl the penultimate.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jaker Ali, Another slower one, hard length and on off, Jaker Ali keeps it out to the off side and wants the run but is sent back.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jaker Ali, Fazalhaq Farooqi continues to bang it short, on middle and off, slower too, Jaker Ali rides the bounce well and swats it through mid-wicket and turns around for the second. Ali has to put in a dive at the other end, but makes his ground as the throw is not a good one. This is clever batting. They are not just trying to hit the boundaries, but running well between the wickets.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Jaker Ali, No pace given at all, short and on off, Jaker Ali heaves it towards deep mid-wicket for the third double of the over.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tawhid Hridoy, Pace off again, on a length and around off, Tawhid Hridoy steers it to short third for a single.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tawhid Hridoy, Bangs this into the pitch, on middle, takes pace off. Tawhid Hridoy goes through his pull early and gets a top edge towards deep square leg. He quickly calls for the second and gets it easily in the end. Good running!

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tawhid Hridoy, Back of a length and around off, Tawhid Hridoy punches it away wide of deep point, where Noor Ahmad runs to his left but fails to collect it on the first attempt and allows the second run.

AM Ghazanfar to bowl? Nope. Here's Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-0-19-0) into the attack. Most probably, it will be Azmatullah Omarzai and Farooqi to wrap up.

Noor Ahmad to Tawhid Hridoy, Quicker, full and on middle and leg, Tawhid Hridoy goes down across to swipe it but ends up gloving it onto his pads as the ball rolls towards short fine. They cross. There is an appeal for LBW, but turned down. Noor looks interested, but Rashid signals that there is some bat involved and does not go for the review. End of a superb spell for Noor Ahmad with figures of 4-0-23-2.

Noor Ahmad to Tawhid Hridoy, Flatter, short and outside off, angles away, Tawhid Hridoy moves across but still fails to reach out for it. Clever bowling from Noor!

Noor Ahmad to Jaker Ali, Short and on off, Jaker Ali punches it through covers for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Jaker Ali, Goes for it again, and almost throws his wicket away! A googly, full and around off again, turns away, Jaker Ali goes down for the sweep again but gets a top edge that falls well in front of short third.

Noor Ahmad to Jaker Ali, FOUR! Gets it away! Floated, full and around off, Jaker Ali goes down across to target the leg side and heaves it away to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary. 

Bangladesh have managed to score only 20 runs in the last 19 balls. But with 6 wickets still in hand, 160 plus is still on the cards. And more importantly, with Rashid and Noor both done for the evening after this over, they will have the chance to pick the bowlers and go on the offensive. It is all about playing the cards right. AM Ghazanfar still has an over to bowl, though, and it is highly unlikely he will get an over as he has been a bit on the expensive side with an economy of over 10.

Noor Ahmad to Jaker Ali, Flighted, full and on middle, Jaker Ali drills it down the pitch, where Noor Ahmad stops it well on his follow-through.

Rashid Khan to Tawhid Hridoy, Tossed up, full and on leg, Tawhid Hridoy clips it away towards deep square leg and comes back for the second run. Rashid Khan is once again not happy with the effort of his fielder. He finishes his spell with fine figures ofr 4-0-26-2.

Rashid Khan to Tawhid Hridoy, Googly, short and on middle, turns in, Tawhid Hridoy moves to the leg side and pats it back to the bowler.

Rashid Khan to Jaker Ali, Flighted, full and outside off, Jaker Ali drives it to extra covers, where Noor Ahmad lets it through for a run.