After suffering 18 consecutive losses against New Zealand on their home ground, Bangladesh staged a spectacular comeback at McLean Park in Napier. Even though the hosts had already won the series, which was held from the 17th to the 23rd of December, the final ODI saw an unexpected turn of events. Let's have a look into the overview of the 2023 BAN vs NZ ODI series.  

Best Performers in the 2023 Bangladesh Vs New Zealand ODI Series

Despite New Zealand dominating the first two matches, Bangladesh completed an exciting comeback with a spectacular victory in the final ODI. The series featured outstanding performances from standout players on both teams, adding an extra layer of excitement to the cricketing match.

Table: Top performers in the 2023 BAN vs NZ ODI Series

Will Young

Will Young, the opener, showcased extraordinary resilience as he blazed through a brisk century, steering New Zealand's remarkable comeback from a challenging beginning. In a rain-interrupted first ODI in Dunedin, Young's stellar performance secured a thrilling 44-run victory over Bangladesh.

The dynamic New Zealand opener narrowly missed out on his second consecutive ODI century with 89 runs off 94 balls in a thrilling second ODI against Bangladesh. Young demonstrated his explosive batting prowess once again, unleashing eight boundaries and two towering sixes after his spectacular match-winning performance of 105 in the series opener. 

Read more: From duck to diamond: Soumya reborn with brilliant 169 vs New Zealand

Soumya Sarker 

Soumya Sarkar, making his comeback after missing the World Cup, failed to make an impression with bat and ball. Despite being backed for his medium pace, the 30-year-old all-rounder's bowling does not warrant a place in the ODI squad. 

Soumya conceded 63 runs in a 30-over match while bowling the entire six overs.  His return to the national team took a turn for the worse when he was dismissed for a duck in the first over from Adam Milne while chasing a revised total of 245 runs in the first ODI.

After a five-year absence, Soumya Sarkar smashed his first century in international cricket in an exciting turn of events that marked a remarkable comeback for Bangladesh. 

In the second ODI of the three-match series at Saxton Oval in Nelson, Bangladesh lost by seven wickets against the formidable New Zealand team, despite Soumya's astonishing display of a career-best 169 off just 151 deliveries, which incidentally remains the highest score by an Asian batter in ODIs in New Zealand.

Soumya achieved a remarkable milestone and inscribed his name in cricket history in an exciting feat! 

He broke the record set by the great Sachin Tendulkar, who accomplished a record-breaking 163 not out against New Zealand in Christchurch in 2009. 

Bangladesh achieved a remarkable total of 291 thanks to Soumya's outstanding innings, which also set a new record for their highest-ever ODI score against the Kiwis at home. Even though they lost, Soumya Sarkar's incredible century was a thrilling high point that demonstrated his strength and tenacity in international cricket.

In the last ODI, Soumya Sarkar started to cause trouble at McLean Park alongside Sakib, Shoriful! The part-timer has a remarkable impact due to the unanticipated turn of events. 

But after a regrettable incident involving his right eye, Soumya is forced to temporarily leave the field, throwing the excitement into a surprising twist. 

Read more: New Zealand cruise home to win ODI series, Soumya’s century in vain

Tom Latham

Tom Latham led the way to a victory in the first match of the series, which was played using the D/LS method rule. 

A dynamic partnership between centurion Will Young and skipper Tom Latham, marked by a sensational 171-run stand for the third wicket, propelled New Zealand to a thrilling 1-0 lead over Bangladesh. His innings of 92 runs in 77 balls, set the platform for the rest of the Kiwi batters, to set a staggering target of 245 in 30 overs.

Tom Latham, once again proved to be the man that New Zealand can rely on, as he steadied the ship in the 2nd ODI, which they won comfortably by 7 wickets and 22 balls to spare. 

After Will Young and Henry Nicholls, each scored 89 and 95 runs respectively, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell batted sensibly and steered them through the second win, eventually leading them to clinch the series.

After winning the series, The Kiwis were put in a difficult position from the start, and Shoriful's outstanding second spell made things even worse. He took three crucial wickets during this thrilling phase, including the dismissals of Will Young (26 off 43) and 

New Zealand captain Tom Latham (21 off 34). The hosts' batting lineup was destroyed by this outstanding performance, and they were unable to bounce back from the first setback. 

In the 3rd ODI, the tides turned drastically for the Kiwis as they were bundled out for a mere 98 runs.

Alongside Will Young—who quickly became the series' most memorable performer—exhibited incredible tenacity. They created a thrilling partnership and scored an explosive 36 runs for the third wicket together. 

The suspense built to a climax when Shoriful launched an incredible nip-backer that broke through Latham's barriers and started a domino effect. 

Read more: Chennai Super Kings secure Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2024

Shoriful Islam

Young Bangladeshi speedster Shoriful did exceptionally well in the 3 ODIs as he walked in the footsteps of Taskin and Mustafizur, becoming another trustful resource in the Bangladesh fast bowling unit. 

In the first match, he picked up two wickets that enabled Bangladesh to restrict them within a chasable total. Bangladesh lost the match but it was good for the young bowler.

He couldn't make a good impression, as they lost the second match by a big margin. Despite getting only one wicket, he checked the batsmen with his line and length, letting them work for everyone's run, which is a trademark for becoming a better bowler, if not the best. 

In the third ODI, he was at his best rhythm, as Bangladesh won their first match after 18 straight losses. He bagged 3 wickets alongside Sakib and Soumya. He took the prize wicket of Will Young, the top scorer of this series, alongside Tom Latham and Mark Chapman.    

Overall ODI Performance of Tigers in the Series Against New Zealand

It has been an average ride, as Bangladesh was eyeing their first series win against Kiwis, away from home. There were many positives like Soumya making a comeback, and breaking records. Shoriful maintained a good channel. 

Though Bangladesh didn't win the series, they had some positives, especially from the bowling of Shoriful who bagged 6 wickets, the most by anyone in this series. He chipped in through the crucial moment for the team, which eventually created pressure for the opponent. 

Shanto provided good captaincy throughout the series. Bangladesh can go with their heads up high and move towards the T20Is which will be another cracking series to be dealt with.

Overall ODI Performance of Kiwis in the Series Against Bangladesh

Kiwis played impressive cricket in the first two matches, securing another series win on their home soil. New Zealand can also take a lot of positives as most of their senior players didn't play this series, giving more opportunities to young cricketers for the future. 

Much like the first ODI, Young masterfully dictated the pace of his innings in the 2nd ODI, keeping the formidable Bangladesh bowlers constantly on the defensive.

Unfortunately, he couldn't get the momentum going as he fell short of making any impact which ended as a devastating loss and a massive win for Bangladesh. 

Will Young ended the year on a high note, following debutants like William O’Rourke, Jacob Duffey, Josh Clarkson, and Adithya Ashok showed an impressive display with the bowl.

Final Words 

After a disappointing 2023 World Cup campaign, Bangladesh fought valiantly till the end of the BAN vs NZ ODI series and won the last match, ending the series in good spirit before going over to the T20Is. This was by far the best series away from home against the Kiwis.

Read more: Bangladesh creates history with maiden ODI win in New Zealand