Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by seven wickets with 87 balls to spare in the third match of the ODI tri-series in the UAE on 21 October 2026, at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. The result knocks Bangladesh out of the tournament: Afghanistan will play Zimbabwe in the final on Friday, 23 October, also in Sharjah.
Bangladesh chose to bat but were bowled out for 160 in 41.2 overs. Afghanistan reached 161 for 3 in 35.3 overs, with captain Rahmat Shah unbeaten on 67. Rashid Khan (4 for 31) was named Player of the Match. According to ESPNcricinfo, it is Afghanistan’s fifth ODI win in a row against Bangladesh.
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 3rd match: scorecard summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Result | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets (87 balls remaining) |
| Venue | Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, 21 October 2026 |
| Toss | Bangladesh, chose to bat |
| Bangladesh | 160 all out (41.2 overs) |
| Afghanistan | 161/3 (35.3 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Rashid Khan (4/31) |
| Captains | Towhid Hridoy (Bangladesh), Rahmat Shah (Afghanistan) |
Bangladesh innings: 28 for 4, then Emon and Saif
The Afghanistan seamers did the early damage. Yamin Ahmadzai removed Tanzid Hasan in the second over and Bangladesh were 6 for 2, then 27 for 3 and 28 for 4 inside the first seven overs; captain Towhid Hridoy fell for a two-ball duck. Parvez Hossain Emon (70 off 96 balls) and Saif Hassan (41 off 82) rebuilt with a fifth-wicket stand of 93, but once it was broken at 121 the last six wickets fell for 39. Rashid Khan finished with 4 for 31, while Ahmadzai (2/21) and Azmatullah Omarzai (2/27) took two each.
| Bangladesh batter | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|
| Saif Hassan | 41 | 82 |
| Tanzid Hasan | 1 | 6 |
| Soumya Sarkar | 0 | 1 |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | 15 | 23 |
| Towhid Hridoy (c) | 0 | 2 |
| Parvez Hossain Emon | 70 | 96 |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 2 | 7 |
| Shoriful Islam | 7 | 14 |
| Aliss Al Islam | 0 | 10 |
| Taskin Ahmed | 2* | 6 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 0 | 1 |
| Afghanistan bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 8.2 | 31 | 4 |
| Yamin Ahmadzai | 6 | 21 | 2 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 7 | 27 | 2 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 9 | 35 | 1 |
| Bilal Sami | 6 | 23 | 1 |
| AM Ghazanfar | 5 | 12 | 0 |
Afghanistan chase: Rahmat Shah sees it home
Taskin Ahmed struck twice early, and Afghanistan were 39 for 2. Ibrahim Zadran (34) and Rahmat Shah added 56 for the third wicket before Mustafizur Rahman had Zadran caught off a slower ball. Rahmat, with his 34th ODI fifty, and Hashmatullah Shahidi (36 not out) then added an unbroken 66 for the fourth wicket.
| Afghanistan batter | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 6 | 8 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | 34 | 48 |
| Sediqullah Atal | 4 | 13 |
| Rahmat Shah (c) | 67* | 90 |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi | 36* | 54 |
| Bangladesh bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taskin Ahmed | 8 | 36 | 2 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 6 | 32 | 1 |
| Shoriful Islam | 5 | 18 | 0 |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 8 | 25 | 0 |
| Aliss Al Islam | 8.3 | 47 | 0 |
What it means for the tri-series
Afghanistan won both of their group matches (158 runs against Zimbabwe, seven wickets against Bangladesh). Zimbabwe, who beat Bangladesh by 99 runs in the opener, complete the final line-up. Bangladesh, without the injured Litton Das, lost both of their games.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| 1st match, 17 October | Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 99 runs |
| 2nd match, 19 October | Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 158 runs |
| 3rd match, 21 October | Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets |
| Final, 23 October | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, Sharjah, 11:30 GMT |
Read the reports of the first match and the second match, and the tri-series preview.
Source: ESPNcricinfo scorecard and match report.
