Within a week, Bangladesh’s cricketers have seen both sides of the coin. Last week in Sharjah, they whitewashed Afghanistan in the T20 series with a brilliant performance. But in Abu Dhabi, the picture has flipped. In their favorite format—ODI cricket—Mehidy Hasan Miraz and his team are now at risk of being whitewashed. Afghanistan sealed the three-match series by winning the first ODI by 5 wickets and the second by 81 runs. The third and final ODI is today, and Miraz’s side will play to avoid a clean sweep.
For the first time ever, Rashid Khan, Ibrahim Zadran, and their team will attempt to beat the Tigers 3-0. In the previous four bilateral ODI series between the two teams, every result has been 2-1. Will it be the same this time as well? Notably, Afghanistan have now won consecutive ODI series against Bangladesh. Bangladesh won the series in 2016 and 2022, while Afghanistan claimed victory in 2023 and 2024.
Today’s match is Bangladesh’s battle to avoid a whitewash. Yet the bigger discussion is about the 2027 ODI World Cup. Will the Tigers qualify directly?
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Out of 14 teams, eight will qualify directly. The top eight ranked teams will secure direct entry, while the remaining teams will come through the qualifiers. For Bangladesh to play in the World Cup, they must be within the top nine of the rankings by March 31, 2027. If not, they’ll have to go through the qualifiers. However, if co-host South Africa drop out of the top eight, Bangladesh would then need to be in the top eight to qualify directly.
Given Bangladesh’s performance over the past year to year-and-a-half, many are doubtful. In their last 11 ODIs, the Tigers have managed only one win—and that too against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh hasn’t gone through such a poor run in the last 14 years.
However, by November 2026, Bangladesh will play eight ODI series—24 matches in total. During this period, they will play series against West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and India. Among those, five ODIs will be in Zimbabwe and three in Ireland. All other series will be at home, with three matches in each. Additionally, in November 2026, a three-match ODI series against South Africa is scheduled.
Bangladesh’s performance in ODI cricket has declined significantly. Since 2024, excluding the Champions Trophy, Bangladesh have played six ODI series and lost all except the one against Sri Lanka. They have lost four series in a row. Previously, Bangladesh also lost four consecutive ODI series back in 2011, against Australia, Zimbabwe, West Indies, and Pakistan.
To avoid a whitewash today, the batting lineup will unquestionably need to step up. Along with building big partnerships, individual big innings will be essential from Tanzid Tamim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Miraz, Zakir Ali, and Towhid Hridoy.
