Bangladesh Opt to Bat With Four Changes in a Must Win Game Against Afghanistan

Bangladesh has decided to bat first in a do-or-die game against Afghanistan at Abu Dhabi. They have made four changes to the squad that was crushed two days ago by Sri Lanka. They have decided to bring in their most experienced attack bowler, Taskin Ahmed, alongside Nasum Ahmed, Saif Hassan, and Nurul Hasan.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, is unchanged. They have gone with the same squad that thumped Hong Kong in the tournament opener. This shows the fact that the Afghan team is pretty much settled, and they have come to the Asia Cup 2025 to make a statement.

Talking about the pitch, it looks good for batting. This is the major reason why both captains wanted to bat first, but ultimately Bangladesh got their luck right.

"We've decided to bat first. The whole team is excited for this game, as it's a must-win for us. The pitch looks a little slow, so a total of 160 should be a good score.” said Litton Das at the match toss.

This pitch will also offer some seam and bounce at the start of the play. Afghanistan will be looking to make an early impact in the match by taking quick wickets of Bangladesh's openers.

From the perspective of Bangladesh, they will be relying heavily on a good start. The onus will be on their openers, who looked completely out of form against Sri Lanka in the last match. However, things could change quickly, as the young duo of Tanzid and Saif could make Afghan bowlers pay with their aggressive gameplay.

The match is now underway at Abu Dhabi, as Bangladesh's openers have started cautiously, keeping in view the dual nature of the pitch.