Afghanistan's relationship with T20 cricket is different. Afghans have been dominating this format. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s relationship is completely opposite. Finally, the knot has opened, and Tigers have won the latest series against Afghanistan. And it is the fourth consecutive T20I series win for Bangladesh. After first defeating the world champions England, then Ireland, Bangladesh won the T20 series for the first time against the Afghans. Bangladesh reached the target of 119 runs given by Afghans with 5 balls remaining in the match, which was reduced to 17 overs due to rain.

Afghanistan’s Overall Performance

In the first T20I match against Bangladesh, Afghanistan opted to bat and aimed for a target of around 150 runs. Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz opened the innings but had a slow start. However, they managed to overcome the Bangladeshi bowlers in the second over. Zazai was dismissed for 8 runs, followed by Rahmanullah for 16 runs. Ibrahim Zadran and Karim Janat tried to stabilise the innings but couldn’t form a significant partnership. Nabi and Najibullah contributed 35 runs together, but their partnership was broken. Mohammad Nabi played a remarkable innings, scoring 54 runs, helping Afghanistan reach a total of 154 runs. In the bowling department, Afghanistan used seven bowlers, all of whom managed to take wickets except for Mohammad Nabi. Mujeeb, Rashid, Azmatullah, Farooqi, and Fareed took one wicket each, and Karim Janat achieved a hat-trick.

In the second T20I match, Afghanistan’s batting performance was challenging due to losing early wickets. Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit a boundary but got out for 8 runs in the first over. Hazratullah Zazai also fell quickly in the third over. After a rain-related delay, Mustafizur dismissed Mohammad Nabi, while Shakib sent Ibrahim Zadran and Najibullah back to the pavilion. Azmatullah Omarzai and Karim Janat tried to recover the innings but were eventually dismissed after scoring 42 runs. Rashid Khan’s team could only reach 116 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 17 overs due to the rain interruption. In terms of bowling, Mujeeb Ur Rahman took 2 wickets in his 4 overs, and Azmatullah Omarzai also claimed 2 wickets in his 3 overs. Despite their efforts, Afghanistan couldn’t secure a victory in the second T20I against Bangladesh.

Read more: Bangladesh clinch T20I series against Afghanistan with easy win

Bangladesh’s Overall Performance

Bangladesh had a solid overall performance in the T20 series against Afghanistan. In the first T20I, the Bangladesh team faced an early setback when Rony Talukdar was bowled out by Farooqi in the first over. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das tried to control the innings, but Shanto got dismissed after scoring 12 runs. Litton also went soon after, scoring 18 runs. However, the partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Hridoy boosted Bangladesh’s innings. Shakib contributed 19 runs before being caught by Karim off Fareed’s delivery. Shamim Hossain and Hridoy then built a partnership of 73 runs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin, and Nasum got out in quick succession, giving Karim Janat a hat trick. However, Shoriful Islam’s boundary helped Bangladesh reach the target. In the bowling, Shakib, Nasum, Taskin, Shoriful, Mustafiz, and Miraz claimed one wicket each. Shakib and Taskin bowled four overs, while Nasum and Shoriful bowled three overs each. Miraz bowled two overs in the match.

In the second T20I, Litton Das and Afif Hossain provided a strong opening partnership for Bangladesh. Litton played aggressively, and the team quickly crossed the 50-run mark without losing a wicket. However, Litton got out after scoring 67 runs, followed by Afif’s dismissal. Nazmul Hasan Shanto couldn’t stay at the crease for long and was dismissed for 4 runs. Hridoy and Shakib played crucial roles in maintaining the run flow and securing victory with 5 balls to spare. However, Taskin was impressive in the bowling department, taking 3 wickets in his 4 overs with an economy rate of 8.25. Mustafiz and Shakib contributed with 2 wickets each. Hasan Mahmud and Nasum Ahmed couldn’t claim any wickets in the match.

Overall, Bangladesh showed a strong batting performance in both matches, with key contributions from various players. Their bowling unit also performed well, taking regular wickets and containing the Afghan batsmen effectively.

Read more: ICC World Cup 2023 Schedule Revealed: Bangladesh to face Afghanistan in First Match

Overall Stats of the Bangladesh Vs Afghanistan T20I Series 2023

Table: Overall stats

Best Performers in the 2023 BAN vs AFG T20I Series

Table: Top performers of Bangladesh and Afghanistan Squads in the T20 Series 2023

Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan, the star all-rounder, had an impressive performance in the T20 series against Afghanistan. In the first T20I, Shakib showcased his skills with both bat and ball. He contributed 19 runs with the bat. Additionally, he made a significant impact with the ball, taking two crucial wickets to help restrict Afghanistan’s batting line-up. In the second T20I, Shakib continued to display his all-round prowess. He played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s victory by scoring an unbeaten 18 runs and taking 2 wickets.

Read more: Bangladesh Women Register Historic Maiden ODI Win Against India

Azmatullah Omarzai

Azmatullah Omarzai did really well in the T20 cricket series against Bangladesh. He showed his skills in both batting and bowling. In the first game, he scored 33 runs with the bat. He also took a wicket while bowling. In the second game, Azmatullah continued to impress everyone. He scored 25 runs, which was important for his team when things were a bit difficult. He helped Afghanistan get a good score on the scoreboard. He also took two wickets.

Mohammad Nabi

Nabi was the highest run scorer in the T20 series. He scored 70 runs in two matches. He scored 54 runs from 40 balls in the first match and remained not out. However, his performance was a bit low in the second match, as he scored 16 runs from 22 deliveries.

Towhid Hridoy

Hridoy was the highest run scorer for Bangladesh accumulating 66 runs. His 47 runs in the first match helped Bangladesh win the match. However, the 19 runs from 17 balls in the second match also contributed greatly to the team’s victory.

Final Words

The Bangladesh vs Afghanistan series 2023 included Test, ODI and T20 matches. First, Afghans lost the Test match against Bangladesh. Then in the ODI series, the Afghanistan team turned things around and won. After that, in the T20 matches, the Bangladesh team, led by Shakib, got revenge for their loss in the ODI series. Bangladesh won all the T20 matches against Afghanistan. 

Read more: ICC World Cup 2023: Schedule, Fixtures, Venues, Team List