Bangladesh kept their Super-4 hopes alive with a thrilling 8-run victory over Afghanistan in the 9th match of the Asia Cup 2025. Powered by Tanzid Hasan’s explosive half-century and brilliant bowling from Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, and Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh handed Afghanistan their first defeat of this kind in the tournament.

The Group B clash, played on 16 September at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, was crucial for both teams. With this result, the race for Super-4 qualification has now gone down to the wire, with the Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka game set to decide the group’s final standings.

Tanzid Hasan’s fiery knock

Opting to bat first, Bangladesh got off to a solid start with openers Saif Hasan (30) and Tanzid Hasan. Tanzid was particularly aggressive, hammering a 28-ball 52 as Bangladesh raced to 59 runs in the powerplay. However, after his dismissal, the scoring slowed down, and the team could only manage 154 runs. For Afghanistan, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed picked up two wickets each.

Afghan batting collapses under pressure

Afghanistan’s chase began disastrously, with Sediqullah Atal falling to Nasum Ahmed (2/11) on the very first ball. By the 5th over, they were reeling at 18/2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35) tried to stabilize, but Rishad Hossain (2/18) dented the middle order, reducing Afghanistan to 77/5.

Azmatullah Omarzai (30) launched a counterattack, but his dismissal by Taskin Ahmed derailed the chase. In the 19th over, Mustafizur Rahman (3/28) dismissed Rashid Khan, sealing the match. Afghanistan were bowled out for 146 on the final ball, falling just short of the target.