The match is crucial for Bangladesh to keep the series alive. Facing Afghanistan in the second ODI, the stakes go beyond just this single game. For Mehedi Hasan Miraz’s team, the bigger picture is even more significant: to qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup, Bangladesh needs to be among the top nine in the ODI rankings, and they currently sit at 10th.

Winning matches is essential to climb the rankings. With that in mind, Bangladesh approached the first ODI of the series against Afghanistan. However, the three-match series got off to a losing start. Losing again in today’s second match in Abu Dhabi would not only mean conceding the series but also further reduce their already slim chances of direct World Cup qualification. Bangladesh’s recent form in ODIs offers little reassurance — they have won just one of their last eleven matches in this format. Despite reaching the top three in the ODI Super League to qualify for the previous World Cup, the team has no room for comfort now.

This concern is likely felt most by Miraz. In his eight-match ODI captaincy career, he has only tasted victory once. Bangladesh has also lost its previous two ODI series against Afghanistan, making today’s match a fight to avoid a hat-trick of series defeats. Against this backdrop, the team aims to learn from their mistakes in the first game and approach the series with renewed focus.

Yesterday in the UAE, opener Tanzim Hasan told reporters, “We have reviewed the mistakes from the last match and discussed how to improve in the next. This game is extremely important — losing it would mean losing the series.” On the ranking issue, he added, “ODIs are our favorite format. Being ranked 10th is not acceptable; we need to be higher. We should focus on how to qualify directly for the World Cup.”

Yet, Bangladesh’s batsmen are not giving much confidence. They have struggled to complete full 50-over innings this year, managing it in only one out of six ODIs.

Tanzim highlighted the batting challenge, saying, “Our main focus now is rotating the strike because there are too many dot balls. If you cannot post a competitive total in a 50-over match, it becomes very difficult.” Once a favored format for Bangladesh, ODIs have become a daunting challenge, and another loss to Afghanistan today would only add to that pressure. Tanzim remains hopeful that the team can avoid that setback.