Following their victory in the first ODI of the 2023 BAN vs AFG ODI series, Afghanistan will surely aim to maintain their strong performance in the second match of the three-match series. The match will take place at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. The match will start at 2:00 pm on July 8, 2023.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan 2nd ODI 2023 Preview
Bangladesh received a significant setback as their captain, Tamim Iqbal, will not be available for the remaining two ODIs. The 34-year-old cricketer announced his retirement right after the first ODI. In the recent One-off Test match, Litton Das took charge as the captain. And Litton Das will be the captain for BAN vs AFG 2nd ODI 2023.
The first ODI between the two teams was a rain-affected match. The visiting team's strong performance played a crucial role in their victory through the Duckworth–Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. In the last match, the Bangladesh team gave one of the most disappointing performances in recent times. Bangladesh struggled to reach a total of 169/9 in 43 overs, with only Towhid Hridoy achieving a half-century. Afghanistan, in their chase, had Ibrahim Zadran contribute significantly with 41 runs, driving them to 83/2 in 21.2 overs. However, rain intervened once again, and the match's outcome was determined by the DLS method.
Read more: Tamim Iqbal's International Cricket Career Overview: Records and Achievements
Looking ahead, Bangladesh will be missing the presence of Tamim, who has been replaced by Rony Talukdar in the squad.
Table: Top performers of BAN vs AFG first ODI
| Players | Role | Performance |
| Towhid Hridoy | Batter | 51 runs from 69 balls |
| Litton Das | Batter | 26 runs from 35 balls |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Bowler | Took 3 wickets |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Bowler | Took 2 wickets |
| Ibrahim Zadran | Batter | 41 runs from 58 balls |
| Shakib Al Hassan | All rounder | Took 1 wicket with 1.8 economy rate |
Who has the competitive edge considering the overall ODI records so far?
Afghanistan entered the white-ball series after facing a 2-1 defeat against Sri Lanka in the 50-over format. Before that, they emerged victorious in a T20I series against an inexperienced Pakistan team, winning 2-1. In contrast, Bangladesh enjoyed victory in the ODI series against Ireland, sweeping them aside with a 2-0 victory.
When it comes to both teams’ overall head-to-head record, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have faced each other 12 times in the 50-over format. Out of these encounters, Bangladesh have emerged victorious on seven occasions, while Afghanistan have triumphed five times. In the recent first ODI, Afghanistan’s win ended Bangladesh’s four-match winning streak against them.
Read more: Litton Das replaces Tamim as Bangladesh's ODI captain
Table: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Head-to-Head Record So Far
| Number of Matches | Bangladesh’s Win | Afghanistan’s Win | Bangladesh’s Win at Home | Afghanistan’s Away Win | Results in Neutral Ground |
| 12 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Bangladesh’s win 3 Afghanistan’s win 1 |
So, considering the past meetings, Bangladesh have competitive edge over the Afghans.
Bangladesh’s Strengths and Weakness
Chattogram’s wicket was a bit weird in the last match. Despite losing the first ODI against Afghanistan, the top performer of that match, Towhid Hridoy, has no complaints about Chattogram's wicket. Rather, the team’s batting failure is the main reason, and it was Bangladesh’s weakness in the last match. The correct rhythm among the top orders is necessary to score a big hit. However, it is expected that the team will learn from the mistake and turn around in the 2023 BAN vs AFG 2nd ODI.
As Chattogram’s wicket is spin-friendly, spinners like Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz will be Bangladesh’s trump cards. However, fast bowlers also did pretty well in the last match. So, they can also be assets. Mustafiz’s 2.5 econ rate in 4 overs has helped to slow down Afghan run machine.
Read more: Tamim's sudden retirement leaves teammates shattered and emotional
Afghanistan’s Strengths and Weakness
According to Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, their spin has become world-renowned in recent days. And we should admit this. Also, we saw that in the last match. The performances of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan have slowed down the Tigers. Mujeeb had a 2.6 econ rate from 9 overs, and Rashid gave 2.3 runs on average from 9 overs. So, spin dependency is definitely Afghanistan’s greatest strength.
Afghans are gradually improving themselves. They have failed several times to maintain synchronisation within the team. So, this might be a weakness. However, they have overcome that in recent matches.
Probable Player List of 2023 BAN vs AFG 2nd ODI
Probable XI for Bangladesh
Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman.
Probable XI for Afghanistan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sayed Shirzad, Izharulhaq Naveed.
Key Players of BAN vs AFG 2nd ODI Match 2023
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Shakib Al Hasan, the experienced all-rounder, has been considered one of the best all-rounders in the world for the past two decades. He has shown outstanding skills both as a batsman and a bowler. After recovering from a finger injury, Shakib is even more motivated to make significant contributions to his team’s success. This year, the all-rounder has scored 312 runs from eight innings in ODIs. He has maintained an average of 39 runs per inning with the bat. As a bowler, Shakib has taken eight wickets, including a four-wicket haul.
Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
In 2023, Ibrahim Zadran accumulated 215 runs in four innings so far. He boasts an impressive batting average of 71.66. Interestingly, in the previous year, he had an even higher average of 71.83 in the ODI format. These numbers highlight Ibrahim’s remarkable consistency as an opener for his team.
Who will win the BAN vs AFG 2nd ODI?
The Afghanistan team displayed brilliance in all aspects of the game in their previous match against Bangladesh. Although the Tigers will be eager to make a comeback, it will not be easy to overpower the visitors. Afghanistan have momentum on their side, led by Hashmatullah and his teammates, and the conditions also favour them.
Final Words
The host team, Bangladesh, will surely aim for a strong comeback in the 2023 BAN vs AFG 2nd match. However, the sudden retirement announcement from Tamim may create an imbalance in the team’s rhythm. But, still, we are hoping for the best and want to see a good clash.