After the Asia Cup tournament, Bangladesh faced Afghanistan in a T20 series. When two competitive teams with cricketing histories met, Bangladesh cleaned up Afghanistan by 6 wickets in the final series and became champions. Bangladesh's performance against one of Asia’s teams was outstanding. The tigers swept the series 3-0, showing their dominance in both batting and bowling. Afghanistan could not defeat Bangladesh in all three games they played. The top batter, Saif Hassan, earned the Man of the Match Award, and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed received the Player of the Series award.
Bangladesh’s Fireworks Against Afghanistan
The Bangladesh tour of the UAE, highlighting the Bangladesh vs Afghanistan T20I series, ended with Bangladesh securing a victory. From the first match, the tigers showcased discipline and intent. Their batting and bowling line-up has done their role perfectly. In the first match, Bangladesh won by 4 wickets with the batting contributions of Parvez Hossain Emon's 54 and Tanzid Hasan's 51. The second match was also a comfortable win for Bangladesh, triumphing by 2 wickets. All-rounder Shoriful Islam’s contribution led him to earn the Man of the Match award. In the final match, Afghanistan came out with high hopes, but the tigers defeated them by 6 wickets with 12 balls left. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first. Afghanistan scored 143/9 in 20 overs, and Bangladesh effortlessly chased down the target, reaching 144/4 in 18 overs.
The Player of the Series, Nasum Ahmed’s bowling attack helped Bangladesh to get a breakthrough in the middle overs. Mohammad Saifuddin also contributed in the final T20I by taking 3 wickets for just 15 runs. The other key bowlers of Bangladesh, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, and Rishad Hossain, also delivered well by putting Afghanistan batters under pressure. In batting, Saif Hassan played brilliantly and scored 64 off 38 balls. Opener Tanzid Hasan supported effectively with 33 off 33 balls. Towhid Hridoy and Shanto contributed strongly in the entire series as well.
Afghanistan’s Struggles Continue
Afghanistan is considered one of the best cricket teams in Cricket history. But their struggle to come back to form is still a question mark. The match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the T20 series completely changed Afghanistan's image by losing the series. For Afghanistan, the series was packed with inconsistencies. Their batting lineup struggled to find a base, and early wickets interrupted the flow of the game. Darwish Rasooli (32 off 29) and Sediqullah Atal (28 off 23) contributed in the final match. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also supported with 23* off 18 balls. However, their efforts didn’t help them post a high enough score against Bangladesh.
What Went Wrong for Afghanistan?
As for Afghanistan, they have good players. But their lack of consistency and a specific strategy is a big problem. Based on their performance against Bangladesh, the Top order failed to perform well. Key batters like Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran couldn’t stand against Bangladesh’s bowlers. Lack of partnership is another problem faced by Afghanistan. Continuous wickets put them under pressure. Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman tried to contribute but failed to build partnerships. Ineffective bowling and misfields added to Afghanistan's troubles. They failed to balance the UAE’s conditions, which led to poor performance.
Looking Ahead
Bangladesh's victory against Afghanistan in the T20 series showcased the Tigers’ growth and consistency. Bangladesh played with full confidence and improved to perform under pressure. Their batting, bowling, and fielding were magnificent. Meanwhile, Afghanistan started with the Top order collapses, Lack of partnership, fielding mistakes, and ineffective bowling. The series exposes the clear dominance of Bangladesh. Afghanistan should come back to their old form, as they need to improve their bowling and batting line-up.