Asia Cup 2025: 3 Players to watch out for in Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Match 9

On September 16, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will play the ninth match of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. The Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi will host the game.

Bangladesh has so far registered one victory and one defeat in the tournament. To stay alive in the competition, they must defeat Afghanistan in this match.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, defeated Hong Kong in their Asia Cup opener. They had also won three games in the Sharjah tri-series involving Pakistan and the UAE. With a potent spin attack and in-form batters, Afghanistan has everything they need to trouble Bangladesh.

Here are the 3 players to watch out for in Bangladesh vs Afghanistan:

1. Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan remains Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker, with 169 wickets in 100 T20Is at an economy of 6.06 and best figures of 5/3. His leg-spin has bamboozled batters across the world. He thrives in the T20I format, where batters are forced to attack him, giving him the chance to lure them into mistakes.

Rashid knows the Bangladeshi batters well, having faced them in various leagues and international encounters. While back surgery has slightly reduced his impact and opponents have studied him closely, the Afghanistan captain is still a major threat.

2. Litton Das

Bangladesh captain Litton Das has been his team’s most reliable batter in T20Is of late. He is the second-highest run-scorer for Bangladesh in the format, with 2,524 runs in 112 games, including 15 half-centuries and a best of 83. Opening the innings, Das has excelled in the powerplay overs.

He loves taking on bowlers early and is adept at playing both pace and spin. His biggest challenge will be to counter Afghanistan’s spin trio of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, and Mohammad Nabi.

3. Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman remains Bangladesh’s star bowler. With 142 wickets in 113 T20Is at an economy of 7.30 and best figures of 6/10, he has been a match-winner on many occasions. Renowned for his deceptive wrist action, he varies pace cleverly and troubles batters with yorkers and slower balls.

On the sluggish Abu Dhabi surface, Rahman’s skills will be crucial for Bangladesh, especially in the death overs, to contain Afghanistan’s powerful hitters.

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