Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 99 runs in the opening match of the ODI tri-series in Abu Dhabi on 17 October 2026. Craig Ervine (93) and Brendan Taylor (81) rescued Zimbabwe from 24 for 3 with a fourth-wicket stand of 150, and Brad Evans then took 4 for 45 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 172 in 33.4 overs. It was Sikandar Raza’s first win as Zimbabwe’s ODI captain.
Bangladesh played without their ODI captain Litton Das, ruled out of the whole series with a right hip injury, and without Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who had a fever. Vice-captain Towhid Hridoy led the side, and Parvez Hossain Emon was called up as Litton’s replacement.
Match summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | 1st match, UAE ODI tri-series (Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe) |
| Date and venue | 17 October 2026, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi |
| Toss | Zimbabwe, chose to bat |
| Zimbabwe | 271/8 in 50 overs (Ervine 93, Taylor 81; Taskin Ahmed 3/44) |
| Bangladesh | 172 all out in 33.4 overs (Tanzid Hasan 46; Brad Evans 4/45) |
| Result | Zimbabwe won by 99 runs |
| Player of the match | Craig Ervine |
| Captains | Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Towhid Hridoy (Bangladesh) |
Zimbabwe innings: the veterans rebuild
Bangladesh’s new-ball bowlers started well. Brian Bennett fell for a duck in the first over, and Zimbabwe were 24 for 3 after Ben Curran (6) and debutant Tafadzwa Tsiga (16) went cheaply. Ervine and Taylor, both in their 40s, then batted through the middle overs and took the score to 174 before the fourth wicket fell. Taylor made 81 off 101 balls, Ervine 93 off 106.
Bangladesh pulled things back late, taking four wickets between 174 and 234, but an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership between Newman Nyamhuri (21* off 17) and Wellington Masakadza (21* off 15) lifted Zimbabwe to 271 for 8.
| Bowler (BAN) | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taskin Ahmed | 10 | 44 | 3 |
| Shoriful Islam | 10 | 47 | 2 |
| Saif Hassan | 3 | 17 | 2 |
| Rishad Hossain | 9 | 66 | 1 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 10 | 44 | 0 |
| Mosaddek Hossain | 6 | 36 | 0 |
| Soumya Sarkar | 2 | 15 | 0 |
Bangladesh innings: collapse after a quick start
Tanzid Hasan gave the chase a lively start with 46 off 38 balls, and Bangladesh were 66 for 1. Then three wickets fell for two runs: Tanzid was caught by substitute Ryan Burl, and Evans bowled Najmul Hossain Shanto next over, leaving Bangladesh 68 for 3. Raza trapped his opposite number Hridoy lbw for 13, Masakadza removed Mosaddek Hossain and Saif Hassan (26), and Evans returned to dismiss Nurul Hasan and Shoriful Islam in one over with short balls. Bangladesh were 129 for 8 and were all out for 172 with more than 16 overs unused.
| Bowler (ZIM) | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Evans | 6.4 | 45 | 4 |
| Sikandar Raza | 7 | 28 | 2 |
| Wellington Masakadza | 6 | 18 | 2 |
| Blessing Muzarabani | 8 | 23 | 1 |
| Newman Nyamhuri | 6 | 56 | 1 |
Top scorers
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Ervine | Zimbabwe | 93 | 106 |
| Brendan Taylor | Zimbabwe | 81 | 101 |
| Tanzid Hasan | Bangladesh | 46 | 38 |
| Saif Hassan | Bangladesh | 26 | 37 |
| Rishad Hossain | Bangladesh | 23 | 33 |
What’s next in the tri-series
| Match | Date | Fixture |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd ODI | 19 October 2026 | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe |
| 3rd ODI | 21 October 2026 | Afghanistan vs Bangladesh |
| Final | 23 October 2026 | Top two teams |
The league matches start at 11:30 GMT according to ESPNcricinfo: 3:30pm in Abu Dhabi, 5:30pm in Bangladesh and 5pm in India. Bangladesh now need a win against Afghanistan on 21 October to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive. Our tri-series preview has the full squads and broadcast details.
FAQ
Who won the Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe ODI in Abu Dhabi?
Zimbabwe won by 99 runs. They made 271 for 8 and bowled Bangladesh out for 172.
Why did Litton Das not play?
Litton was ruled out of the tri-series with a right hip injury after an MRI scan and a failed fitness test. Towhid Hridoy captained Bangladesh, and Parvez Hossain Emon joined the squad.
Who was the player of the match?
Craig Ervine, for his 93 off 106 balls.
Source: ESPNcricinfo scorecard and match report (Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, 1st match, UAE ODI tri-series 2026-27).
