Match

Afghanistan won by 7 wkts

• Bangladesh: 160/10 (41.2 overs)
• Afghanistan: 161/3 (35.3 overs)

Bangladesh - 160/10 (41.2 overs)

Extras: 22

Afghanistan - 161/3 (35.3 overs)

Extras: 14

Commentary

• So that's 6 wins on the trot for Rahmat Shah as captain to begin his career in this format. Afghanistan are doing really well and it would take something special from Zimbabwe if they are to beat them in the final on the 23rd of this month. We will be there nice and early for that one. Long day and night for us with Afghanistan taking their own sweet time to get to the target. On that note, we are escaping. Take care and sleep tight. See you soon.
• Rahmat Shah | Afghanistan captain (translated from Pashto): [On maintaining consistency after six consecutive victories, his first hundred in five innings on the tour, and another match-winning half-century] We look at the target and the wickets in hand and we take our time. When we have time, we try to score as many runs as possible, hit boundaries when the opportunity comes and rotate the strike. That is what we try to do. [On rebuilding the innings after losing two early wickets and managing Bangladesh's attacking approach] Yes, inside the powerplay, we wanted to build a steady partnership. We wanted to keep scoring runs and rotate the strike. If the opposition attacked, we wanted to handle that attack, stay at the crease and keep the runs coming. That was the plan. [On enjoying his batting, rotating the strike, and putting pressure on the opposition] Whenever I am batting, I enjoy my batting. I try to rotate the strike and when loose balls come, I try to hit more boundaries. I also rotate the strike and that puts pressure on the opposition.
• Towhid Hridoy | Bangladesh captain: [On another difficult outing and where things went wrong] Actually, to be very honest, we are doing the same mistake day by day. As a batting unit, we did mistake again. At the beginning we lost a couple of wickets. I think that was the main reason. [On whether the batting order could have been different, including Mehidy batting higher up] Yeah, we can discuss later on, but at the beginning, as I mentioned earlier, from the top we have to score, otherwise you cannot stay. So we will work on it. [On the learnings from the tri-nation series ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup] So we can learn from a lot of things, to be very honest. As a batting unit, even in terms of fielding we need to develop some areas. We have time. Hopefully we will work on from here and we have Asia Cup in our home, so we will bounce back. [On whether Bangladesh missed out on 40–50 runs] No, to be very honest, we missed 100 runs. That wicket was very good wicket.
• Rashid Khan | Player of the match (2/2): [On Afghanistan's preparation and chances heading into the final] Well, preparation has been great so far. We had a couple of good games and even a good series before that as well against Ireland and overall, the preparation for the upcoming big events is amazing. We need to keep the thing as natural as possible. Just make sure we go there, express ourselves. Don't need to do something different. Keep playing your positive cricket, and as long as possible. Big game, final, yes, but we just need to make sure that we know our strength and play according to our strength. What hard work you put in the nets, and trying to be consistent in the nets as well. That's what I take it from the game as well. So always, practice with purpose.
• Rashid Khan | Player of the match (1/2): [On being the leading wicket-taker in ODIs against Bangladesh, with 39 wickets in 28 innings] It has been great so far, how things are going for me, especially in ODIs and great preparation for me over the last five, six games I played and I really enjoyed my consistency with the line and length, something which I have been looking up to it. It's a huge pleasure, to be playing for the national team and then performing for the team as well. So for me, the more important thing is just to be consistent with my performance, against the opposition, and making sure it gains for the team. [On how he consistently hits good lengths and troubles batters with his googlies] Well, it's just about, practice makes men perfect. I feel like, it's all about the practice and try my best to improve myself as much as possible and to work on different skills and when it's in the game, I have to be accurate and I have to be consistent as much as possible. [On his four-wicket spell and which wicket was the most satisfying] Well, I think, at that time Emon was playing so well and I felt that wicket where I got him, like before, was very important for us to get his wicket and ODI is always about your time. You have to wait for your time. If you don't get a wicket first spell, you will get in the second one or the third one. So I think it was all about making sure you keep yourself calm and other than that, I think the catch Nabi took was something very special.
• 22:07 Local Time, 18:07 GMT, 23:37 IST: A smiling chat between Mehidy and Hashmatullah Shahidi as they walk off. Played in good spirits this game. 5th consecutive ODI win for Afghanistan against Bangladesh. This chase took me back to the ODIs played in the late 80s and early 90s when the chasing side took their time to amble their way to a win. Afghanistan had they wanted could've ended this much earlier but decided to play old-fashioned ODI cricket to get there. Gurbaz and Sediqullah fell early but once Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim got together and neutralised the early threat, then it was always going to go one way. Bangladesh just didn't have enough on the board to pose serious pressure to their opponents. A disappointing tournament this for Bangladesh who are knocked out. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff....
• 35.3: Aliss Al Islam to Hashmatullah Shahidi, 2 runs, that's the game for Afghanistan. Hashmatullah Shahidi ends it. On a good length outside off, Hashmatullah Shahidi goes on the back foot and cuts between backward point and short third man. Taskin jogs after it, assuming the ball will run to the fence. Instead it plugs well inside the fence
• 35.2: Aliss Al Islam to Rahmat Shah, 1 run, full just outside off, Rahmat Shah gets forward to drive to long-on
• 35.1: Aliss Al Islam to Rahmat Shah, no run, tossed up full on leg-stump, Rahmat Shah gets forward to flick, the thick inside-edge hits the leg and rolls to mid-wicket
• 34.6: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Hashmatullah Shahidi, no run, flat good length on middle, Hashmatullah Shahidi goes on the back foot and punches it to cover
• 34.5: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Rahmat Shah, 1 run, tossed up full and just outside the leg-stump, Rahmat Shah comes down the track to drive to long-on
• 34.4: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Rahmat Shah, no run, sliding down leg. On a good length and going down as Rahmat Shah sinks low to pull, misses. Mehidy Hasan Miraz gestures to Allahudien Paleker that it was going down which draws a wry grin from the South African ump
• 34.3: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Hashmatullah Shahidi, 1 run, flat good length on off, Hashmatullah Shahidi goes on the back foot and punches it wide of backward point
• 34.2: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Hashmatullah Shahidi, no run, quicker on middle as Hashmatullah Shahidi wants to come down the track, bunts it from the crease to point
• 34.1: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Hashmatullah Shahidi, no run, flat good length outside off, Hashmatullah Shahidi goes on the back foot and punches to the right of extra-cover
• 33.6: Aliss Al Islam to Rahmat Shah, no run, on a good length outside off, Rahmat Shah goes on the back foot and punches, but doesn't time it as he finds cover
• 33.5: Aliss Al Islam to Rahmat Shah, 2 runs, good length and flat on middle and leg, Rahmat Shah goes on the back foot and whips it wide of deep square-leg for an easy two
• 33.4: Aliss Al Islam to Hashmatullah Shahidi, 1 run, tossed up full outside off, Hashmatullah Shahidi comes down the track to crash the drive to mid-off. Shanto fumbles and gives away a run. He attacked the ball and let it go through his hands
• 33.3: Aliss Al Islam to Hashmatullah Shahidi, no run, on a good length outside off, Hashmatullah Shahidi goes on the back foot and guides it down to short third man. A diving stop made. Three dots in a row
• 33.2: Aliss Al Islam to Hashmatullah Shahidi, no run, on a good length and on off, Hashmatullah Shahidi goes on the back foot and taps it to backward point. Wants a run, is sent back