Afghanistan won the ODI series over Bangladesh by 2-1 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. This remarkable victory not only marked Afghanistan's first-ever series win in Bangladesh but also brought an end to a rare winning streak held by the Tigers. The recent defeat against Afghanistan in the ODIs marked only the third time that the Bangladesh men's team has experienced a series loss at home since 2015. Best Performers in the 2023 Bangladesh vs Afghanistan ODI Series Although the Afghans dominated the first two matches, Bangladesh got a big win in the last ODI. But, few players from both teams have contributed significantly throughout the series. Read more: Analysis of BAN vs AFG 3rd ODI 2023  Table: Top performers in the 2023 BAN vs AFG ODI Series Player Performance Rahmanullah Gurbaz 173 runs Ibrahim Zadran 142 runs Litton Das 92 runs Fazalhaq Farooqi 8 wickets Shakib Al Hasan 4 wickets and 79 runs Rahmanullah Gurbaz Rahmanullah Gurbaz's batting performance in the three-match ODI series was a mix of ups and downs. In the first ODI, he contributed with 22 runs from 44 balls, displaying a steady but conservative approach at the crease. Read more: Analysis of BAN vs AFG 2nd ODI 2023 However, his true potential shone through in the second ODI, where he delivered a breathtaking batting display. Gurbaz blazed his way to a phenomenal knock of 145 runs from just 125 balls, including an impressive tally of 13 boundaries and 8 sixes. This remarkable innings demonstrated his ability to dominate the opposition and score runs at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, in the third ODI, Gurbaz could not replicate his previous form and managed only 6 runs from 22 balls. Ibrahim Zadran In the first ODI, he played a patient innings, scoring an unbeaten 41 runs from 58 balls before rain interrupted the match, depriving him of further opportunities to showcase his skills. However, he made a significant impact in the second ODI, crafting a remarkable century. Zadran showed his class and consistency by scoring 100 runs from 119 balls, providing a solid foundation for his team's total. Read more: Tamim Iqbal's International Cricket Career Overview: Records and Achievements Unfortunately, in the final ODI, he endured a brief stint at the crease, contributing just 1 run from 6 balls. However, his century in the second ODI was particularly noteworthy, showcasing his talent and potential as a valuable asset in the ODI format for Afghanistan. Litton Das Among all the Bangladeshi batters, Litton scored the highest runs combining three matches. His total score was 92 runs. In the first ODI, he played a brief innings, contributing a solid 26 runs from 35 deliveries. The second innings was not good either; he scored 13 runs from 15 deliveries. However, it was in the third ODI where Das truly stood out, delivering an exceptional unbeaten knock of 53 runs from 60 deliveries. His innings played a vital role in guiding his team to victory, highlighting his temperament and skill in constructing an innings. Read more: Analysis of BAN vs AFG 1st ODI 2023 Fazalhaq Farooqi Fazalhaq Farooqi displayed an impressive bowling performance throughout the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. In the first ODI, Farooqi made an immediate impact by bowling 8.4 overs and taking an impressive haul of 3 wickets. His economy rate of 2.76 highlighted his ability to restrict the opposition's scoring rate effectively. Later Farooqi continued his excellent form in the second ODI, too, bowling 7.2. In the 3rd ODI, Farooqi once again proved to be a valuable asset to his team, as he picked up 2 wickets in his 5 overs. Shakib Al Hasan Although the overall performance of the team in the entire series was not up to expectations, Shakib Al Hasan was in perfect rhythm with the ball. This has also improved his ranking. Shakib took 4 wickets in 3 matches against Afghans. Among them, he took 1 wicket for just 9 runs in the first ODI, 2 for 50 runs in the second match, and 1 wicket for just 13 runs in 10 overs in the third match.   According to the latest rankings published on Wednesday, the left-arm spinner has climbed three places to the 10th position. His rating point is 618. Shakib also contributed 79 runs in three matches. Overall Stats of 3 ODI Matches Table: Overview of stats in the 2023 BAN vs AFG ODI Series Matches Bangladesh Afghanistan 1st ODI 169/9 83/2 Afghanistan won by 17 runs (DLS method) 2nd ODI 189/10 331/9 Afghanistan won by 142 runs 3rd ODI 129/3 Bangladesh won by 7 wickets (with 159 balls remaining) 126/10 Overall ODI Performance of Tigers in the Series Against Afghanistan The overall performance of the Bangladesh cricket team in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan had its share of highs and lows. In the first ODI, Bangladesh's batting struggled as they lost wickets regularly and could only manage a total of 169 runs. Rain interruptions further hampered their progress, and the team couldn't put up a competitive fight. However, Towhid Hridoy's innings of 51 from 69 balls provided some stability amidst the batting collapse. Read more: Women's T20I: India defend 95 to seal series win against Bangladesh In the second ODI, Bangladesh once again faced a batting collapse, losing early wickets and finding themselves in a precarious position. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim attempted to save the innings, but their contributions were not enough to get a significant total. The team was eventually all out for 189 runs, with Mushfiqur Rahim's knock of 69 providing some hope. In the third ODI, Bangladesh's bowling unit showcased their dominance as they restricted Afghanistan to a lowest total of 126 runs. Shoriful Islam's outstanding performance, taking four wickets for 21 runs, played a crucial role in dismantling the Afghan batting lineup. Shakib Al Hasan's economical bowling, conceding only 13 runs in his 10 overs, further boosted Bangladesh's dominance. Overall ODI Performance of Afghanistan against Bangladesh The overall performance of the Afghanistan cricket team in the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh showcased some notable achievements as well as areas for improvement. Afghans showed their bowling skill in the first ODI while the rain stopped their batting innings. In the second ODI, Afghanistan's batting had a solid start, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran setting a record-breaking partnership of 256 runs, the highest for any wicket in Afghanistan's ODI history. However, the team faced a significant collapse after the openers were dismissed, losing 9 wickets for just 75 runs. Their final total of 331 runs for 9 wickets showcased their strong start but also highlighted a lack of stability in the middle and lower order. Read more: BAN vs AFG Series 2023: Bangladesh T20 Squad Analysis In the third ODI, Afghanistan's batting faltered as they failed to capitalize on the strong start. The team put up a miserable batting performance, managing only 126 runs, the lowest team score against Bangladesh. Azmatullah Omarzai's innings of 56 runs was the only significant contribution, as other batsmen struggled to score. Fazalhaq Farooqi's bowling performance of two wickets stood out in an otherwise disappointing batting display. Overall, while Afghanistan had moments of brilliance in their batting, particularly with the record-breaking partnership in the first ODI, they lacked consistency and stability throughout the series. The team will need to address their middle and lower-order batting concerns to ensure better overall performances in the future. Additionally, maintaining a balance between their batting and bowling strengths will be crucial for Afghanistan's success in upcoming tournaments like the Asia Cup and World Cup. Final Words Over the years, Bangladesh has established a tough record on their home turf, displaying remarkable dominance by clinching victories against renowned teams such as India, Pakistan, and South Africa. But, the 1-2 loss against the Afghans in the 2023 Ban vs AFG ODI Series has faded all those records of Bangladesh. Read more: ICC World Cup 2023: Schedule, Fixtures, Venues, Team List

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. Read more: ‘Match against Afghanistan final match of my career’: A weeping Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from international cricket 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. Analysis of BAN vs AFG 1st ODI 2023