Bangladesh national cricket team suffered a dramatic collapse against Afghanistan in the first one-day match, losing by a narrow margin despite being well-positioned for victory at Sharjah Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 236, Bangladesh appeared in control at 131 for 3. However, they crumbled spectacularly, losing their final seven wickets for just 12 runs, leading to an unexpected defeat.
Bangladesh's chase started on a strong note, with solid contributions from Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Soumya scored a steady 33, while Shanto contributed 47 runs, anchoring the innings. However, the Afghan bowling attack, led by young spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, turned the game around. Ghazanfar’s exceptional spell claimed six wickets, ripping through Bangladesh’s batting lineup and leaving them helpless against his accurate bowling.
Despite brief resistance from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s lower order collapsed, unable to sustain any meaningful partnership, which allowed Afghanistan to secure an unlikely win.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan posted a total of 235 in 49.4 overs, thanks largely to Mohammad Nabi’s resilient 84 and a half-century from captain Hashmatullah Shahidi. On the bowling front, Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman impressed, each taking four wickets and limiting Afghanistan to what initially seemed like a manageable target.
However, the stunning batting collapse overshadowed Bangladesh’s strong bowling performance, as they fell short of victory and suffered an unexpected defeat at the hands of Afghanistan.
