Sat Oct 11 11:30:00 UTC 2025: **Afghanistan Clinches Victory in First ODI Against Bangladesh, Takes Series Lead**
**Chattogram, Bangladesh** – Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh by 5 wickets in the first One Day International of their series today, taking a 1-0 lead. The match, played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, saw Afghanistan overcome a shaky start to secure a decisive win.
Bangladesh struggled early in their innings, losing several wickets within the first 15 overs. A resilient innings from Towhid Hridoy helped stabilize the innings, but Bangladesh ultimately fell short of their desired total, posting a score that Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz felt was about 40 runs shy of being competitive.
“I think we lost many wickets in the first 15 overs,” Miraz said after the match. “If we could have gotten to 260, we had a good bowling attack to stop them.”
Afghanistan’s bowlers mounted a strong comeback, restricting Bangladesh’s scoring. Gurbaz and Rahmat then led the Afghan chase, both scoring half-centuries. While Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed slight disappointment with Rahmat for not finishing the innings, he praised the overall team performance.
“Very happy with the way the team played,” Shahidi stated. “Our bowlers bowled really well. Rahmat and Gurbaz batted well.”
Azmatullah Omarzai, who was named Player of the Match, played a crucial role in guiding Afghanistan to victory, particularly on a challenging pitch.
“Tough wicket to bat on,” Omarzai commented. “Some balls were gripping and turning as well.”
With Afghanistan needing just a few runs to win, Nabi sealed the victory with a towering six over long-off.
The two teams will face off again in the coming weekend, where Afghanistan has the opportunity to clinch the series. Bangladesh will be looking to bounce back and level the score.
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