Afghanistan Put Breaks As Bangladesh Stutters to 154

In the must-win Asia Cup 2025 clash, Bangladesh has posted a modest total of 154 against Afghanistan at Abu Dhabi. They did get a brisk start in the Powerplay, but due to some tight bowling from Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, the middle order of Bangladesh could not break free any further. As a result, they have now put on a score that looks good, but could be chased easily with some fine performances.

Bangladesh won the toss at Abu Dhabi and swiftly took the decision to bat first. The pitch looked good from the start, hence making that decision was pretty easy. The Afghanistan captain, Rashid Khan, also said that he wanted to bat first, as the wicket was conducive for batting.

When Bangladesh came out to bat, their decision proved right. Their openers went berserk from the first over. The young batter, Tanzid Hasan, was especially good tonight. He took down the attack bowlers of Afghanistan with some stunning hitting. Both Fazalhaq Farooqi and AM Ghazanfar went wicketless in the first Powerplay. They were dented by the exceptional hitting of Tanzid who made sure to provide a good attacking base to his team.

The other Bangladeshi opener, Saif Hassan, struggled a bit. He also played well for his 30, but got out to Rashid in the 7th over due to some good spin bowling. Tanzid Hasan remained the star of the Bangladeshi batting, as he made a splendid 52 by smashing 4 fours and 3 sixes. It was due to his aggressive batting, Bangladesh managed to score 59 at the end of the Powerplay.

But, once the Powerplay ended, and Afghan spinner came in the middle overs, things became difficult for the Bangladesh batters. Tanzid tried to keep up the momentum, but didn’t find any help from the other batters. As a result, he got out to Noor Ahmad after scoring a valiant fifty.

After that, no Bangladeshi batter found momentum in the middle. The start given by Tanzid and Saif went into vain, as Afghanistan spinners applied pressure on the incoming Bangladesh batters. Towhid Hridoy looked a bit promising, but he also got out after making just 26.

Talking about Afghanistan's bowling performance, they enjoyed the prowess of Rashid Khan once again. The captain and star bowler of the Afghan attack made his presence felt by not allowing the Bangladesh batters to play freely. Rashid Khan got 2 wickets while giving away just 26 runs in four overs.

Alongside Rashid, Noor Ahmad was equally good. He also bowled in tandem with Rashid and other Afghan bowlers to put breaks on Bangladesh's innings. In the end, Noor also got 2 wickets while giving away just 23 runs in four overs.

The second innings of the Group B clash is now underway at Abu Dhabi, as Bangladesh has started well with 2 quick wickets. It is a must-win game for them to stay alive in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.