The rivalry between the Bangladesh National Cricket Team and the Afghanistan National Cricket Team is among the most exhilarating and quickly evolving rivalries in modern cricket. Both teams have traveled similar trajectories from relative obscurity to genuine international challengers. The matches between these two teams are typically hard-fought matches filled with drama, grit, emotion, and excitement. The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Bangladesh National Cricket Team Timeline highlights some of the most emotional moments, significant wins, and turning points that have combined to make Bangladesh vs Afghanistan an intriguing rivalry in the world of cricket. Bangladesh, which brings experience in this rivalry, is known for taking home advantage, while Afghanistan comes with raw potential, especially in their bowling unit. Certainly, since their first encounters on the 1st March 2014, since then both have played some remarkable games, containing historic last-minute comebacks, unpredictable upsets, and explosive individual performances.
2014 to Recent Encounters: Intense Matches
- 2013-2014 Asia Cup- Bangladesh and Afghanistan met for their first match in 2014. It was the 5th match of the 2014 Asia Cup, where Afghanistan shocked Bangladesh, winning the match by 32 runs. Afghanistan scored 254/6 in 50 overs. Asghar Afghan hit 90 runs, while Samiullah Shinwari also secured a half-century in the match with 81 off 69. Samiullah Shinwari won the Player of the Match award for his commendable batting.
- 2013-2014 ICC World Twenty20- Both teams met for their first T20I tournament in 2014 T20 World Cup. Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by 9 wickets in this match. Anamul Haque’s 44 off 33 and Shakib Al Hasan’s great bowling effort of 3 wickets in 3 overs were significant contributions for Bangladesh in the match.
- 2014-2015 ICC World Cup- It was the 7th match of the 2015 World Cup, where Bangladesh clinched a victory over Afghanistan by 105 runs. It was one of the biggest wins for the Bangla Tigers in the World Cup.
- 2018-2019 Asia Cup- It is the 6th match of the 2018 Asia Cup held at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan secured a huge win over Bangladesh by 136 runs. Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rashid Khan were the main highlights of the game for scoring incredible half-centuries in the match. Rashid Khan was named Man of the Match after scoring 57 runs off 32 balls.
- 2017-2018 Afghanistan v Bangladesh- It was the 3-match T20I series held between the Bangla Tigers and the Afghan Atalans in India. Afghanistan completely dominated Bangladesh, winning the series by 3-0. It was Afghanistan’s first bilateral T20I series win against Bangladesh, showcasing their emerging talent in the shortest format. Rashid Khan, an all-rounder player of Afghanistan, became the Shining Star of the team and contributed heavily to his team’s series win.
- 2019 ICC World Cup- Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by 62 runs in the 31st match of the 2019 World Cup held at Southampton. Bangladesh scored 262 runs in 50 overs. Shakib Al Hasan’s all-round performance (51 runs and 5 wickets) helped Bangladesh win this game. Mushfiqur Rahim also scored 83 runs in the match. However, Shakib Al Hasan received the Player of the Match award for his overall performance in the encounter.
- 2019-2020 Bangladesh v Afghanistan- Bangladesh and Afghanistan played their first test match in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, where Afghanistan easily defeated Bangladesh by 224 runs. It was Afghanistan’s first Test victory over Bangladesh and their first overseas Test win as well, marking a significant milestone in their cricketing journey. Rahmat Shah secured a century in the 1st innings of the game by scoring 102 off 187. Whereas, Asghar Afghan, Rashid Khan, and Ibrahim Zadran were other key players in the match.
- 2021-2022 Bangladesh v Afghanistan- Bangladesh invited Afghanistan for the 3-match ODI series in 2022. Bangla Tigers crowned victorious against Afghan Atalans, winning the series by 2-1. Afghanistan won the 3rd match of the series by 7 wickets. The series was highlighted by a record 174-run partnership between Afif Hossain (93 runs) and Mehidy Hasan (81 runs) in the first ODI, rescuing Bangladesh from a precarious position. Litton Das hit a century with 136 off 126 in the second ODI match. On the other side, from the Afghanistan team, Rahmanullah Gurbaz also hit a century by 106 off 110 in the 3rd game of the series.
- 2023 ICC World Cup- It was the 3rd game of the World Cup held on the Indian ground. Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by 6 wickets. Bangladesh outscored Afghanistan, scoring 158 runs in 34 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto are the two key players from the Bangladesh team.
- 2023 Bangladesh v Afghanistan- In 2023 test series, Bangladesh secured a huge win over Afghanistan by 546 runs. Bangladesh scored 382 & 425/4 dec in their first test match. It was the first-ever test win of Bangladesh over Afghanistan. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque are the two leading run scorers for Bangladesh. Najmul Hossain Shanto hit a double century with 270 runs in the game and won the Man of the Match award for his phenomenal batting.
- 2024 ICC T20 World Cup- Afghanistan won the 52nd match of the 2024 T20 World Cup by 8 runs (D/L method) against Bangladesh. Afghanistan’s victory propelled them into their first-ever T20 World Cup semi-final, eliminating both Bangladesh and Australia from the tournament. Afghanistan’s strong bowling attack led Bangladesh to lose the match.
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