Omarzai’s all-round brilliance leads Afghanistan to five-wicket win over Bangladesh in first ODI

Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning all-round performance as Afghanistan clinched a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi. Omarzai first dismantled Bangladesh’s top order with three crucial wickets before contributing a brisk 40 off 44 balls to guide Afghanistan home in their chase of 222.

Afghanistan sealed the win in the 48th over, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi remaining unbeaten on 34. Veteran Mohammad Nabi finished the game in style, smashing Saif Hassan for a six to complete a confident run chase.

It was a day of milestones for the Afghan team. Rashid Khan became the first Afghan cricketer to reach 200 ODI wickets — achieving the feat in just 115 matches, making him the second-fastest spinner ever to do so. Meanwhile, Rahmat Shah crossed the 4,000-run mark in ODIs, becoming the first Afghan batter to reach that landmark.

Rashid was instrumental once again with the ball, claiming three wickets — including that of Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz, top-scorer of the innings — along with Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan. His strikes came at crucial junctures, helping Afghanistan bowl Bangladesh out for 221 in 48.5 overs and giving them early control of the contest.

Afghanistan’s chase began with positive intent. Ibrahim Zadran opened with a trio of boundaries, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz lofted Taskin Ahmed straight down the ground for a six. The openers brought up a fifty-run stand in just the ninth over before left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam broke through — deceiving Zadran with a sharp turner that Nurul Hasan neatly stumped.

Tanzim Hasan soon followed up with a rising delivery that caught Sediqullah Atal’s edge, snapped up in the slips by Tanzid Hasan.

Much like Bangladesh’s Mehidy and Towhid Hridoy earlier in the day, Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah steadied the Afghan innings after the early setbacks. The pair curbed their aggression and consolidated, with their first boundary in 73 deliveries coming only in the 21st over when Rahmat drove Tanvir through the covers.

Rahmat eventually fell for a patient 50, caught at midwicket off Tanzim, ending a 78-run partnership. Gurbaz followed just four balls later, bowled by Mehidy for the same score.

With Afghanistan suddenly under pressure, Shahidi and Omarzai joined forces for a composed 59-run fifth-wicket stand. Omarzai’s counter-attack turned the tide — he launched Mehidy for a four and a six in his final over, then pummeled Tanzim for three consecutive boundaries in the 43rd. He departed soon after for a well-made 40, caught at short midwicket, but by then the match was firmly in Afghanistan’s grip.

Needing only 27 runs from the last seven overs, Shahidi and Nabi calmly guided their side to victory with 17 balls to spare.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings never truly gained momentum despite a 101-run fourth-wicket partnership between Mehidy Hasan Miraz (60) and Towhid Hridoy (56). The pair revived the innings after an early collapse at 3 for 46 in the 12th over. Hridoy’s run-out after a mix-up with Mehidy broke the stand, and Rashid Khan quickly dismantled the middle order, trapping Mehidy, Jaker Ali, and Nurul Hasan in quick succession.

Omarzai had earlier set the tone with the new ball, claiming three wickets to rattle Bangladesh’s top order. Despite the brief resistance from Mehidy and Hridoy, Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling and Omarzai’s all-round heroics ensured a commanding win to take a 1–0 lead in the series.