Bangladesh are in a must-win situation when they take on Afghanistan in their final Group B match of the ongoing Asia Cup at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi today.聽聽
The match is scheduled to begin at 8:30pm Bangladesh Standard Time. T Sports and Nagorik TV will telecast the match live, while it can be watched online on Toffee and Tapmad.聽
After a scratchy win against Hong Kong, the Liton Das-led team was beaten heavily by Sri Lanka on Saturday.聽
On the other hand, Afghanistan have had a huge boost in their net run rate when they beat Hong Kong by a huge margin of 94 runs in their opening match.聽
A win over Bangladesh would put the Afghans on top of the Group B chart. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the next round, Super Four.聽
Bangladesh lost their way against Sri Lanka after their top order collapsed, as they were 11-3 at one point.聽
They eventually made 143 thanks to two forty-plus unbeaten knocks from Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain. Later, Jaker said that they needed better planning as a batting unit to put on a good score, which they failed to do.聽
Bangladesh made an early inroad when Mustafizur Rahman dismissed Kusal Mendis in the second over.聽
But Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara, who was handed a life by Mahedi Hasan, put Bangladesh out of the contest.聽
Bangladesh were behind Sri Lanka in all three facets of the game, and they would need a quick recharge against Afghanistan.聽
The Tigers were full of confidence, at least that is what they said, going into the clash with Sri Lanka.聽
However, the defeat put them in an uncomfortable position, as they might be out of the tournament if they lose to Afghanistan.聽
The record shows that Afghanistan always seems to be a tough opponent for Bangladesh. They won five matches while losing seven out of 12 completed matches.聽
The last of those matches came in the T20 World Cup in June last year, when Bangladesh lost by eight runs after a dramatic contest.聽
Bangladesh had had the chance of qualifying for the semifinal by chasing 115 in 12.1 overs. But after losing some early wickets, Bangladesh seemingly gave up their chance.聽
Instead, Afghanistan, a team that continued to rise in world cricket, confirmed their place in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time.聽
That match would give Afghanistan added motivation. On the other hand, it remains to be seen whether Bangladesh can bring their A game against an opponent that they always find difficult.聽
