Afghanistan Create History with Record 200-Run Win Over Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi (The Uttam Hindu): Afghanistan made history on Wednesday by completing a 3-0 clean sweep against Bangladesh in the ODI series held in Abu Dhabi. In the third and final ODI, Afghanistan registered a massive 200-run victory, marking the largest win by runs in Abu Dhabi’s ODI history.

Batting first, Afghanistan posted 293 runs for 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. In reply, Bangladesh collapsed for a mere 93 runs in 27.1 overs, failing to withstand the Afghan bowling attack.

With this emphatic win, Afghanistan broke South Africa’s previous record, who had defeated Ireland by 174 runs at the same venue on October 4, 2024. Following them on the list are Scotland (150-run win over Afghanistan in 2015), South Africa (139-run win over Ireland in 2024), and Pakistan (138-run win over New Zealand in 2009).

Winning the toss, Afghanistan chose to bat first, and their opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran gave a solid start with a 99-run partnership in 16 overs. Gurbaz scored 42 runs off 44 balls with one six and five fours before being dismissed.

Ibrahim Zadran then built another 74-run stand with Sediqullah Atal, adding stability to the innings. Atal contributed 29 runs off 47 balls, while Zadran anchored the innings before falling after setting a strong platform. Despite losing quick wickets after reaching 173/2, Afghanistan managed to reach 293 by the end of their innings.

For Bangladesh, Saif Hassan was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for just 6 runs in 4 overs, while Hasan Mahmud and Tanvir Islam claimed two wickets each.

Chasing 294, Bangladesh’s innings never gained momentum. They lost their first wicket at 35 runs, and none of the batters apart from Saif Hassan (43) managed to reach double digits. The team folded for 93, giving Afghanistan their historic victory.

For Afghanistan, Bilal Sami shone with the ball, taking 5 wickets for 33 runs, while Rashid Khan bagged 3 wickets.

This clean sweep also served as redemption for Afghanistan, who had earlier lost the T20I series 0-3 to Bangladesh in Sharjah. With this dominant ODI performance, Afghanistan balanced the scales in stunning fashion.