Farooqi ignites the match as Afghanistan defeats Bangladesh despite the rain.

By 17 runs (DLS method), Afghanistan (83 for 2) defeated Bangladesh (169 for 9) (Hridoy 51, Farooqi 3-24).

Afghanistan managed to defeat Bangladesh by 17 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series by sneaking in a strong bowling performance in between three rain delays. The game was reduced to 43 overs per side in Chattogram after play was halted for a total of three hours and fifteen minutes. Even nevertheless, it was not feasible. The visitors were proclaimed the winners after the players were pulled off the field at 9.33 p.m. with 83 for 2 in 21.4 overs, 17 runs more than the DLS par score at that point in the innings.

The best bowler for Afghanistan was Fazalhaq Farooqi, who continued the form he displayed during the ODI series here last year by grabbing 3 for 24. Bangladesh was placed under strain by their spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who together claimed five wickets for 69 runs in 24 overs.

With 24 extras on three lost receptions, they also provided relief, but the home team was unable to profit from it. There was hardly any assistance from the other end, but Towhid Hridoy managed to maintain his composure and score his third ODI fifty. As Bangladesh fell from a theoretically solid 103 for 3 to 169 for 9 in 43 overs, they committed several soft dismissals.

The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium’s groundskeepers deserve kudos for their painstaking work peeling and unpeeling the big tarps that mostly covered the 30-yard circle to shield it from the rain. Additionally deserving of praise is the almost full crowd, which kept moving throughout the majority of the game despite the venue’s scant overhead cover. To protect themselves from the rain that was coming in from the south, they had to scramble to the staircases.

But the players they went to meet didn’t help them at all. simply flattering to trick.

Bangladesh was moving along at a good speed in the first 20 overs until Tamim Iqbal was dismissed in the seventh over. With five boundaries and a six, Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto promised to score a lot of runs. However, when Litton timed a pull straight to deep square leg and Shanto top-edged a sweep to short fine leg, they fell within six balls of one another, and Bangladesh slowed down.

Afghanistan profited from Shakib Al Hasan’s attention being diverted to finishing a few overs. Even though the first rain break necessitated the slowness, the fourth wicket’s contribution of just 37 runs in 65 balls after 15.1 overs of play ultimately cost Bangladesh.

Before Nabi caught him at cover, Shakib struggled to 15 off 37 balls, his poorest ODI batting in eight years (min 30 balls). For the tenth time in competitive cricket, Rashid removed Mushfiqur Rahim after a half-tracker slid through the batter’s legs, glanced off the inner thigh, and struck the stumps. With a little help from DRS, Afghanistan’s top legspinner also had Afif Hossain declared leg before wicket, and when Farooqi returned to dismiss Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s batting collapsed.

Before Towhid got Farooqi’s third wicket of the day, Taskin fell victim to an LBW call from Mujeeb following another rain delay. A few people laughed as Mustafizur Rahman dead batted what turned out to be the final over of the game, but mostly it just summed up Bangladesh’s laborious batting performance in particular during the final 20 overs when they could only muster three runs per over.

It wasn’t that Afghanistan didn’t present opportunities for Bangladesh. Mujeeb fumbled a Shanto return catch on the number 10. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the wicketkeeper, dropped Hridoy when he was 16 off the same bowler, and Rashid, the wicketkeeper, dropped Hasan Mahmud in the final over, albeit that last one didn’t matter much.

Afghanistan approached their 164-run pursuit with caution as well. Only four boundaries were hit by the opening pair of Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran as they contributed 54 runs in 15.3 overs before Gurbaz was caught at short midwicket by Shanto. He only hit one four in 22 out of 45 balls.

Rahmat Shah was next brought in by Taskin at the slip, where Litton made a commendable low catch. Ibrahim eventually reached 41 not out off 58 balls with five fours. At the time of the third rain delay, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was with him and was still undefeated with nine off 13 balls.