The national teams of Bangladesh and Afghanistan are relatively new teams in the international cricketing landscape; however, they have developed a rivalry against each other as competitors. This rivalry covers all formats of the game (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is) and is indicative of the two rising emerging nations in world cricket from Asia. Below is a detailed analysis of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Bangladesh National Cricket Team Timeline, which displays how each of these match-up competitions has grown through the formats. Test Matches: Drawn Afghanistan and Bangladesh have had 2 Test matches against each other so far, winning 1 each. 1st Test – 2019 (Chattogram) Date – 5th September, 2019 Results: Afghanistan won by 224 runs Highlight: Afghanistan stunned the cricketing world with its first Test win against a Full Member nation (not including Ireland). Afghanistan’s match winning performance was all based on their spinners throughout the match; however, Rashid Khan was the dominant player in the game throughout. 2nd Test – 2023 (Dhaka) Date – 14th June, 2023 Result: Bangladesh won by 546 runs Highlight: In one of the all-time large winning margins in a recent Test match, Bangladesh bounce back from a very disappointing result to attain the largest victory (in terms of runs) in Test history. Head-to-Head in Tests: Afghanistan 1 – 1 Bangladesh ODI Matches: Bangladesh ahead in the rivalry, Afghanistan is giving them a fight The ODI rivalry began in 2014, since then, the two teams have played 19 ODIs with Bangladesh winning 11 and Afghanistan winning 8. Early Years (2014–2015): Afghanistan would taste victory over a Test-playing nation first, in 2014 during the Asia Cup with a 32-run victory, a historical moment for them. Bangladesh replied with a crushing 105-run victory at the 2015 ICC World Cup. 2016 Series in Bangladesh: A competitive series where Bangladesh won the first match by 7 runs. Afghanistan fought back and won the second match by 2 wickets, before Bangladesh convincingly won the decider. Asia Cup 2018: Afghanistan forced Bangladesh into the group stage of the Asia Cup being beaten by 136 runs. Then through the Super Four, the teams met again and Bangladesh won by 3 runs. This really shows how close the match plays were becoming. World Cup and Bilateral Series (2019-2023): Bangladesh were the victors in the 2019 World Cup Saw Bangladesh make firm ground on Afghanistan in their 2022 series with a closely contested 2-1. In 2023 bilateral series Bangladesh again saw the civil war in Afghanistan take hold as Afghanistan won 2 out of 3 matches. Recent Confrontations (2024): In November 2024, these two teams clashed in a competitive series in Sharjah in which Afghanistan won with a scoreline of 2-1, winning the first match by 92 runs and the last game by 5 wickets. Head-to-Head in ODIs: Bangladesh 11 – 8 Afghanistan T20 Internationals: Afghanistan Comes Out On Top Afghanistan has had the upper hand over Bangladesh in T20 internationals. From 12 matches, Afghanistan has a record of 7, while Bangladesh has 5. First Encounters (2014 – 2018): Bangladesh comfortably won the first-ever T20I meeting, in 2014. However, Afghanistan made easy work of the series in 2018 with a whitewash 3-0 win in Dehra Dun; with talismanic spinners Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi proving a too tough competition. 2019 and 2022 Series: Afghanistan got the better of Bangladesh in the first game of the 2019 series, before the hosts turned the series around with a 4-wicket win in the second game. In 2022, both teams won a game in Dhaka, before Afghanistan won the Asia Cup match in Sharjah by 7 wickets. Recent Series (2023 – 2024): Bangladesh won a close game by 2-wickets in 2023; and won more comfortably by 6 wickets in the following game. In 2024, Afghanistan once again proved resilient, with a narrow 8-run victory in St. Vincent Head-to-Head T20Is: Afghanistan – 7; Bangladesh – 5 Rivalry Assessment 1. Spin Attack: Both teams have relied on spin attack. Afghanistan has three bowlers who have continuously posed a threat to Bangladesh’s batting department in all formats, especially that of the middle order: Rashid Khan, Mujeeb, and Nabi. 2. An Emerging Equilibrium: What started well for Bangladesh in ODIs as a 2-0-2-0-4 dominant encounter is now more balanced, with Afghanistan becoming a reflection of a decent side especially in T20s and Test cricket. 3. Host Venues: Of the match and series aground, they have played mostly in the subcontinent: Bangladesh, UAE, and India. Sub-continental conditions – especially when pitches are turned and dry spin-able – are consistent trends in all rival encounters. They have explored neutral venues, however it has more to do with Sharjah and at times Caribbean grounds. 4. Near Outcomes: There are a vast majority of games between both teams that were won by extremely narrow margins, mainly in ODIs and T20s. Afghanistan has one two clerk verdicts, e.g. by two wickets in 2016; Bangladesh has theirs by merely three runs in the 2018 Asia Cup. Inspiring Players and Performers Afghanistan: – Rashid Khan: A game changing player across formats. – Mohammad Nabi: A reliable all round performer, both bat and ball. – Rahmanullah Gurbaz & Ibrahim Zadran: Young batting stars emerging in ODIs and T20s. Bangladesh: – Shakib Al Hasan: The most impactful all rounder in the history of Bangladesh cricket. – Tamim Iqbal & Mushfiqur Rahim: The old guard that has helped produce a lot of win. – Taskin Ahmed: Bangladesh bowling spearhead in the last few years. An Emerging Rivalry As a relatively new rivalry, the Afghanistan-Bangladesh cricket rivalry has grown up quickly. It is no longer about the establishment against the newcomers; it’s a rivalry of equals. The rapid growth of Afghanistan cricket forced the established team of Bangladesh to lift their performance levels, producing exciting contests across the formats. This will hopefully inspire both nations to continue to produce entertaining cricket for audiences around the world, particularly as both teams are heavily reliant on younger players and have performed…
