Afghanistan to Host Bangladesh for White-Ball Series in UAE After Asia Cup

Afghanistan will host Bangladesh for a six-match white-ball series in the UAE this October, beginning just four days after the conclusion of the 2025 Asia Cup. The tour will feature three T20 Internationals and three One Day Internationals.

The T20I series is scheduled for October 2, 3, and 5, followed by ODIs on October 8, 11, and 14. While the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the match dates, the specific venues for the games are yet to be confirmed.

Both Afghanistan and Bangladesh are currently preparing for the Asia Cup, which concludes on September 28. The two teams are grouped together in Group B alongside Sri Lanka and Hong Kong and will face each other on September 16 in Abu Dhabi. The top two teams from each group will move on to the Super Fours. Group A features India, Oman, Pakistan, and the UAE.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the Bangladesh squad may remain in the UAE after the Asia Cup to fulfill the bilateral series commitment, rather than returning home in between tournaments.

This upcoming series marks the second phase of what was originally planned as an all-format tour in July 2024, which included two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is. However, the tour was revised to only feature white-ball matches and was postponed due to poor weather conditions in Greater Noida, India, where it was initially scheduled, and due to Bangladesh’s congested international calendar.

The rivalry between the two nations has intensified in recent years. In ODIs, they have faced off in four bilateral series, with the head-to-head record currently tied at 2-2. Bangladesh claimed the series wins in 2016 and 2022, while Afghanistan emerged victorious in the last two editions in 2023 and 2024. In T20Is, the record is equally competitive. Afghanistan won the series in 2018, Bangladesh in 2023, and the 2022 series ended in a draw.

With momentum from recent ODI successes, Afghanistan will look to extend their dominance, while Bangladesh will aim to bounce back and reclaim control of the rivalry in what promises to be a high-stakes contest in the desert.