Bangladesh face Afghanistan in must-win clash at 5:30PM

Bangladesh face a must-win encounter against Afghanistan in the final group-stage match of the ongoing tri-nation series in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday (October 21), with their hopes of reaching the final hanging in the balance.

The Tigers suffered a heavy 99-run defeat to Zimbabwe in their opening match, leaving them under pressure ahead of their crucial showdown with Afghanistan. The match is scheduled to begin at 5:30PM Bangladesh time.

A victory would keep Tiger's hopes of reaching the final alive, but they must also overcome a challenging net run-rate equation to remain in contention.

Afghanistan are in a strong position after crushing Zimbabwe by 158 runs. Their superior net run rate means they could still qualify for the final even if they lose to Bangladesh. For the Tigers, however, a substantial victory could be necessary to overtake Zimbabwe in the standings.

If Bangladesh bat first, they must win by at least 41 runs to have a chance of overtaking Zimbabwe on net run rate.

If they chase, the required winning margin will depend on the target set by Afghanistan. 

Bangladesh: Towhid Hridoy (captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Aliss Al Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon.

Afghanistan: Rahmat Shah (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Vice-Captain & WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohamamd Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyalai Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Yamin Ahmadzai.