By Anas Ahmed 
The stage is set in Sharjah as Afghanistan lock horns with Bangladesh in the 1st T20I of the 2025 series on October 2, 2025. Both teams enter this series with mixed results and will be eager to stamp their authority in this three-match battle.
For Afghanistan, this clash is an opportunity to regain momentum after a string of inconsistent performances. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will be eyeing revenge after their Asia Cup campaign saw them fall short of expectations.
Match Details: Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 1st T20I 2025 at Sharjah
- Fixture: Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 1st T20I, Sharjah
- Date & Time: October 2, 2025, 8:00 PM (Local)
- Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Recent Form
- Afghanistan: ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌
- Bangladesh: ❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌
Neither side has been consistent, making this encounter even more intriguing.
Players to Watch
Bangladesh
- Saif Hassan: 226 runs in 7 matches at 45.2 avg, SR 136.14 – currently their most reliable batter.
- Tanzid Hasan: Promising opener, but needs to convert starts (150 runs in 8 matches).
- Taskin Ahmed: 17 wickets in 7 games at a strike rate of 9.88 – lethal with the new ball.
- Mustafizur Rahman: 12 wickets in 8 matches, economy 6.93 – Bangladesh’s death overs weapon.
Afghanistan
- Expect Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi to be central with the ball, while Ibrahim Zadran and Najibullah Zadran will be key in batting, even though their latest stats weren’t highlighted.
Head-to-Head (Last 5 T20Is)
- 16-Sep-2025: Bangladesh won by 8 runs
- 25-Jun-2024: Afghanistan won by 8 runs (DLS)
- 16-Jul-2023: Bangladesh won by 6 wickets (DLS)
- 14-Jul-2023: Bangladesh won by 2 wickets
- 30-Aug-2022: Afghanistan won by 7 wickets
Bangladesh lead recent encounters 3–2.
Pitch & Conditions – Sharjah Cricket Stadium
- Sharjah usually offers a slow, spin-friendly pitch.
- Scores of 150–165 are often competitive.
- Toss will be crucial, as chasing under lights historically gives teams an edge here.
Match Prediction Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 1st T20I 2025 at Sharjah
This promises to be a closely fought contest. Bangladesh have the edge in recent head-to-heads, but Afghanistan’s spin attack could tilt the balance in Sharjah.
Slight edge: Afghanistan (52%) – Bangladesh (48%)
Himadullah Sohoo