Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 3rd Match, ODI Tri-Nation Series in UAE 2026 – Match Report
Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by seven wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, bowling them out for 160 and then chasing 161 with 14.3 overs to spare. The win put Afghanistan into the tournament final and ended Bangladesh’s campaign.
Rashid Khan was named Player of the Match for figures of 4 for 31 from 8.2 overs, and the shape of his spell mattered as much as the number. He took the last four Bangladesh wickets, and in doing so turned an innings that had been painstakingly rebuilt into one that ended 13 runs after the seventh wicket fell. Captain Rahmat Shah then made an unbeaten 67 to steer a chase that never looked like slipping.
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Match Summary
| Match | Afghanistan v Bangladesh, 3rd Match |
|---|---|
| Series | ODI Tri-Nation Series in UAE, 2026 (with Zimbabwe) |
| Date | Wednesday, 21 October 2026 |
| Venue | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, UAE |
| Toss | Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat |
| Bangladesh | 160 all out in 41.2 overs |
| Afghanistan | 161/3 in 35.3 overs |
| Result | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Rashid Khan — 4/31 |
Bangladesh All Out for 160
Bangladesh chose to bat and lost two wickets in the second over. Yamin Ahmadzai had Tanzid Hasan caught by Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 1 off the fourth ball of his first over, then bowled Soumya Sarkar for a first-ball duck off the very next delivery. Bangladesh were 6 for 2 after 1.3 overs.
It got worse before it got better. Azmatullah Omarzai removed Najmul Hossain Shanto for 15, caught by Gurbaz, and then had captain Towhid Hridoy caught and bowled for a two-ball duck. By the end of the seventh over Bangladesh were 28 for 4, having lost four wickets inside seven overs.
What followed was the innings’ redeeming feature. Opener Saif Hassan and wicketkeeper Parvez Hossain Emon added 93 for the fifth wicket, taking Bangladesh from 28 for 4 to 121 for 5 across roughly 25 overs. Neither hurried. Saif made 41 off 82 balls before Mohammad Nabi had him caught by a substitute fielder in the 32nd over. Emon went on to the only half-century of the innings — 70 off 96 balls with five fours and two sixes — and was Bangladesh’s last meaningful resistance.
Once the stand broke, Bangladesh managed only 39 more runs and lost five wickets. Bilal Sami had Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught for 2. Then Rashid Khan took over. Shoriful Islam was bowled for 7 at 147. Emon was trapped lbw at 156. Aliss Al Islam was caught by Nabi for a 10-ball duck at 160, and Mustafizur Rahman was bowled first ball to end the innings at 41.2 overs.
One number explains a great deal about the total: Bangladesh’s extras came to 22 — 11 wides, seven leg-byes and four byes — meaning the batting order itself contributed just 138 runs. Afghanistan’s eventual chase, completed inside 36 overs for the loss of three wickets, is the clearest evidence of how much work 160 left the bowlers to do.
Rashid Khan’s Match-Winning Bowling Performance
Rashid Khan’s 8.2 overs cost 31 runs and brought four wickets, and every one of them came in the back half of the innings. His victims, in order, were Shoriful Islam (bowled), Parvez Hossain Emon (lbw), Aliss Al Islam (caught by Nabi) and Mustafizur Rahman (bowled) — the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth wickets to fall.
The timing is the whole story. Bangladesh were 147 for 6 when Rashid struck for the first time, still with Emon set on 70 and eight overs in hand to push towards a defendable score. Removing Emon was the decisive blow; from 147 for 6 to 160 all out, Bangladesh added 13 runs while losing four wickets, and the innings finished more than eight overs early.
An economy rate under four an over in a completed ODI innings is restrictive on its own. Pairing it with the dismissal of the top scorer and the entire tail is what made the Player of the Match award straightforward.
Afghanistan’s Chase of 161 Runs
Afghanistan’s reply started unevenly. Taskin Ahmed bowled Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 6 in the third over and then bowled Sediqullah Atal for 4 in the seventh, leaving Afghanistan 39 for 2 and in danger of making a modest target look awkward.
Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah settled it. Their third-wicket stand was worth 56 runs and lasted until the 20th over, when Mustafizur Rahman had Zadran caught by Shanto for 34 off 48 balls. At 95 for 3 Afghanistan needed 66 more from 30 overs — a little under two and a half an over.
Rahmat Shah finished unbeaten on 67 off 90 balls with five boundaries, and Hashmatullah Shahidi made 36 not out off 54. Their fourth-wicket partnership of 66 was unbroken, and the pair closed out the chase in the 36th over without the required rate ever becoming a factor.
The manner of the win is worth reading carefully. Afghanistan did not blaze to the target; they lost two early wickets and then simply refused to lose another, scoring at a shade over four and a half an over across two measured partnerships. For a side batting second to need only three wickets’ worth of risk tells you the target was never substantial enough to force the pace.
Key Turning Points in the Match
- Yamin Ahmadzai’s double strike in the second over. Tanzid Hasan caught off the fourth ball, Soumya Sarkar bowled off the fifth. Bangladesh 6 for 2 inside two overs, and the innings was on the back foot from the start.
- Bangladesh slipping to 28 for 4 in seven overs. Omarzai’s removal of Shanto and Hridoy meant the side’s recovery had to be built by an opener and a wicketkeeper rather than by its middle order.
- The 93-run fifth-wicket stand between Saif Hassan and Emon. It carried Bangladesh from 28 for 4 to 121 for 5 and was the only reason a total of 160 was reached at all.
- Rashid Khan dismissing Emon at 156 for 8. With the top scorer gone and eight overs unused, any chance of Bangladesh adding a meaningful 30 or 40 disappeared. They managed four more runs.
- Rahmat Shah and Shahidi’s unbroken 66. After Zadran fell at 95 for 3, Afghanistan needed to avoid a collapse rather than chase hard. They did not lose another wicket.
Player of the Match – Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan’s 4 for 31 from 8.2 overs is the award in a sentence. He bowled his spell at the stage of the innings where Bangladesh were trying to convert a rebuild into a total, took the last four wickets to fall, and removed the one batter who had made a fifty. The official scorecard records no batting or fielding contribution for him in this match — he did not bat, with Afghanistan winning on the loss of only three wickets.
What the Result Means for the ODI Tri-Nation Series
This win confirmed Afghanistan’s place in the final, and Bangladesh are eliminated from the tournament. Afghanistan will play Zimbabwe in the final on Friday, 23 October 2026 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
For Bangladesh, the review will centre on the top order rather than the bowling. Taskin Ahmed (2 for 36 from eight overs), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (0 for 25 from eight) and Shoriful Islam (0 for 18 from five) all bowled economically in defence of a small total; the side simply had too little to defend after losing four wickets for 28 runs. Readers should check the official points table for the final standings and net run rate positions.
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh – Match Statistics
Bangladesh innings — 160 all out, 41.2 overs
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saif Hassan | 41 | 82 | c sub (Nangeyalia Khan) b Nabi |
| Tanzid Hasan | 1 | 6 | c Gurbaz b Ahmadzai |
| Soumya Sarkar | 0 | 1 | b Ahmadzai |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | 15 | 23 | c Gurbaz b Omarzai |
| Towhid Hridoy (c) | 0 | 2 | c & b Omarzai |
| Parvez Hossain Emon (wk) | 70 | 96 | lbw b Rashid Khan |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 2 | 7 | c sub (Nangeyalia Khan) b Bilal Sami |
| Shoriful Islam | 7 | 14 | b Rashid Khan |
| Aliss Al Islam | 0 | 10 | c Nabi b Rashid Khan |
| Taskin Ahmed | 2 | 6 | not out |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 0 | 1 | b Rashid Khan |
Extras 22 (11 wides, 7 leg-byes, 4 byes). Fall of wickets: 6-1 (1.2), 6-2 (1.3), 27-3 (6.4), 28-4 (6.6), 121-5 (31.3), 124-6 (32.5), 147-7 (37.3), 156-8 (39.2), 160-9 (41.1), 160-10 (41.2).
Afghanistan bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 8.2 | 0 | 31 | 4 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 7 | 0 | 27 | 2 |
| Yamin Ahmadzai | 6 | 0 | 21 | 2 |
| Bilal Sami | 6 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 9 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| AM Ghazanfar | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Afghanistan innings — 161/3, 35.3 overs
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) | 6 | 8 | b Taskin Ahmed |
| Ibrahim Zadran | 34 | 48 | c Shanto b Mustafizur |
| Sediqullah Atal | 4 | 13 | b Taskin Ahmed |
| Rahmat Shah (c) | 67* | 90 | not out |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi | 36* | 54 | not out |
Extras 14 (11 wides, 2 byes, 1 leg-bye). Did not bat: Omarzai, Nabi, Rashid Khan, Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Ahmadzai. Fall of wickets: 26-1 (2.5), 39-2 (6.6), 95-3 (19.6).
Bangladesh bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taskin Ahmed | 8 | 2 | 36 | 2 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 6 | 1 | 32 | 1 |
| Shoriful Islam | 5 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 8 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Aliss Al Islam | 8.3 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
At a glance
| Metric | Afghanistan | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 161/3 | 160 all out |
| Overs | 35.3 | 41.2 |
| Leading run-scorer | Rahmat Shah 67* | Parvez Hossain Emon 70 |
| Leading wicket-taker | Rashid Khan 4/31 | Taskin Ahmed 2/36 |
| Extras conceded | 22 | 14 |
| Result | Won by 7 wickets | Lost |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh 3rd match in the UAE ODI Tri-Nation Series 2026?
Afghanistan won by seven wickets. They bowled Bangladesh out for 160 in 41.2 overs and then reached 161 for 3 in 35.3 overs. The result sent Afghanistan into the tournament final and eliminated Bangladesh.
What was Bangladesh’s score against Afghanistan?
Bangladesh were bowled out for 160 in 41.2 overs after choosing to bat. Parvez Hossain Emon top-scored with 70 off 96 balls and Saif Hassan made 41 off 82. Extras accounted for 22 of the total.
What was Afghanistan’s final score?
Afghanistan finished on 161 for 3 in 35.3 overs, completing the chase with 14.3 overs unused. Captain Rahmat Shah was unbeaten on 67 off 90 balls and Hashmatullah Shahidi on 36 off 54.
How many wickets did Afghanistan win by?
Seven wickets. Afghanistan lost only three batters — Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran — while overhauling the target of 161.
Who was Player of the Match in AFG vs BAN?
Rashid Khan, for his bowling. He took the last four Bangladesh wickets, including that of top-scorer Parvez Hossain Emon, and finished with figures of 4 for 31.
What were Rashid Khan’s bowling figures?
Rashid Khan took 4 wickets for 31 runs from 8.2 overs, an economy rate under four an over. He dismissed Shoriful Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Aliss Al Islam and Mustafizur Rahman.
Where was Afghanistan vs Bangladesh played?
At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, one of the venues hosting the 2026 ODI Tri-Nation Series alongside Abu Dhabi.
When was the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh match played?
On Wednesday, 21 October 2026, as the third match of the ODI Tri-Nation Series in the UAE involving Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Where can readers find the full scorecard and match commentary?
The complete scorecard, ball-by-ball commentary, squads and the series points table are published on ESPNcricinfo and Cricbuzz, and on the official tournament pages.
Conclusion
Afghanistan were the better side in both halves of this match, though not by a dramatic margin in either. Bangladesh’s 160 was the product of one good partnership inside a poor innings, and 22 extras meant their batters supplied only 138 of it. Rashid Khan’s 4 for 31 removed the top scorer and the entire tail, and the chase was settled by two patient stands rather than any assault.
Afghanistan now meet Zimbabwe in the final at Sharjah on Friday, 23 October. Follow our cricket section for the final preview, full scorecards and tournament reports.
Published: 22 October 2026. Last updated: 22 October 2026. All individual scores, bowling figures and fall-of-wicket entries in this report were checked against a full scorecard, and both innings totals reconcile with the sum of runs and extras.
