Afghanistan are comfortably the slowest scoring full-member nation in T20Is in 2025, and their average is aso only second-worst to Pakistan at a nickel over 20. They are also the only team apart from Ireland yet to post a 200-plus total, while their last successful chase against a top-10 side came in October 2023 — nearly two years ago. Yet, in this span they have managed to make a World Cup semi-final, defeating the likes of Australia and New Zealand along the way. This is a paradox Asian cricket is all too familiar with, and their upcoming opponents are the outright flag bearer of the so-close-yet-so-far gang.
And as fate would have it, both T20Is in the series so far have taken the two teams exactly where they fumble the most — closing out wins from hard-fought positions with clinicity under high pressure. Disturbingly for Afghanistan, the Tigers have come out on top both the times, and with relative authority in the end. As soon as the games seemed to reach a flashpoint, Bangladesh have simply taken over with a streaky boundary or a game-changing wicket. It is a pattern Afghanistan cannot allow to become a trend with the T20 World Cup just four months, and will be desperate to put together a complete performance come Sunday to save some face and avoid a whitewash.
Form Guide
Afghanistan have won just four of their 10 T20Is in 2025, three of which came against Associate nations UAE and Hong Kong. In the Asia Cup, the side was knocked out in the preliminary group stage following losses to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in two close encounters, while both their losses in the ongoing series have also been nail-biting thrillers.
Bangladesh had an even rockier start to the year than their rivals, losing a three-match series to the UAE before getting whitewashed 3-0 in Pakistan. However, the side has since bounced back to win three consecutive series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Netherlands, before finishing third in the Super Four stage of Asia Cup ahead of the Lions.
Afghanistan: L L L L W
Bangladesh: W W L L W
AFG vs BAN Head-to-Head in T20Is
After gaining a healthy head-to-head advantage in 2018-19 on the back of four consecutive wins, Afghanistan have struggled to get over the line against their Asian rivals of late, losing five of their six encounters since 2023. Notably, the Atalans have also managed just one victory in four encounters against the Tigers in the Emirates.
Afghanistan 7-8 Bangladesh
Pitch and Weather
Both matches in the series so far have been low-scoring affairs with spinners dominating, cobining for 16 wickets as opposed to 12 for the pacers. Given the volume of matches already played at the venue in recent months, excpect another worn track and an inevitably attritional affair between two teams struggling fro batting rhythm and consistency.
A typically hot and humid Sharjah awaits players, with the temperature expected to be around the 30 degrees celsius mark at the start of the encounter and steadily fall as the night matures. Slight dew is expected towards the end of the encounter.
Team News
Afghanistan are in free-all experimentation mode with their batting order and it is difficult to say what combination the leadership core settle for in the third T20I. What seems more certain is the return of Fareed Ahmad as the primary specialist pacer.
With the series already sealed, Bangladesh might opt to give Soumya Sarkar and Towhid Hridoy a run, the former returning from injury. Shoriful Islam could also make way for Taskin Ahmed, with Tanzim Hasan Sakib his likely new-ball partner.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Mohammad Ishaq, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali (c/ wk), Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
Broadcasting Platforms
The three-match T20I series between Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the Emirates is being digitally streamed on the Fancode app and website.