How is the Bangladesh team performing in One Day Internationals? In one word: badly. A team with just one win in its last 11 ODIs can’t be called good by any measure. On top of that, they have lost four consecutive ODI series. When was the last time Bangladesh went through such a rough patch in their so-called “favorite” format? What do the stats say?
Judging by performance, it’s difficult to sink lower than Bangladesh once did in its own history. After defeating Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, Bangladesh had to wait almost five years for their next ODI win. Before their victory against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2004, Bangladesh went winless in 47 straight matches, losing 45 of them. If you include the winless Test matches from that period, the total rises to 75—an all-time record for consecutive matches without a win. That means from the 1999 World Cup to the 2004 Zimbabwe series, Bangladesh went 75 matches without a single victory.
Naturally, the country’s cricket has progressed somewhat since then. There’s no comparison between that team and the current one. Still, performance-wise, Bangladesh is going through a very rough time in ODIs now. The last time Bangladesh lost four consecutive ODI series was in 2011, when they were beaten by Australia, Zimbabwe, West Indies, and Pakistan. Between October 2016 and October 2017, Bangladesh again went winless across four straight ODI series. However, in March 2017, they drew a three-match series 1–1 against Sri Lanka, which prevented a streak of four consecutive series defeats.
Statistically, Bangladesh had their best ODI phase in 2021 and 2022. From May 2021 to July 2022, they won five consecutive ODI series. In March 2022, they even won a series in South Africa against the Proteas. That streak ended when Bangladesh lost to Zimbabwe.
Out of their last eight ODI series, Bangladesh have won only one—against Sri Lanka in March 2024. In these eight series, they have lost three times to Afghanistan, twice to New Zealand, and once to West Indies. All in all, the ODI team is clearly going through a very tough period.
