Match of The Day
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Bangladesh A ease to an eight-wicket victory over Afghanistan A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars

Bangladesh A bowled out Afghanistan A for just 78, with Ripon Mondol leading the attack through an excellent spell of 3 for 10. Rakibul Hasan also impressed with 3 wickets for 7 runs. Chasing 79, Bangladesh A reached 79 for 2 in 13.3 overs, driven by Zawad Abrar’s 24 and Mahidul Islam Ankon’s steady 27 not out.

Mondol's 3/10 helped Bangladesh A bowl out Afghanistan A.
Image: Mondol's 3/10 helped Bangladesh A bowl out Afghanistan A / © Business Standard

Being the match where Bangladesh A completely outplayed Afghanistan A in every department, the 8th game of the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 turned into a one-sided affair on the evening of November 17 at West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. Bangladesh A won the toss, chose to bowl first, and ripped through the Afghanistan batting line-up to bundle them out for a paltry 78 in just 18.4 overs, then chased the small target in only 13.3 overs while losing just two wickets. A clinical bowling performance led by young pacer Ripon Mondol earned Bangladesh a convincing eight-wicket victory with 39 balls to spare and lifted them to the top of Group A.

Afghanistan A Innings

Afghanistan never recovered after a horrific start that saw them reduced to 16 for 3 inside the first three overs. The damage was done almost single-handedly by Ripon Mondol, the 19-year-old right-arm fast bowler who swung the new ball prodigiously under the Doha lights. On just the third ball of the match, Imran tried to drive a full swinging delivery and only managed a thick outside edge straight to Rakibul Hasan at second slip, gone for 4. Three balls later, Noor ul Rahman, the wicket-keeper opening the batting, chased a wide outswinger and feathered a catch to Habibur Rahman Sohan at first slip, Afghanistan 4 for 1.

The collapse continued in Mondol’s second over. Sediqullah Atal, one of the most promising left-handed batters in Afghan cricket and a carry-over from the 2023 Emerging Teams Asia Cup-winning side, looked to break the shackles by charging down the track. Mondol simply banged it in short as Atal’s pull shot flew high off the top edge, and Jishan Alam settled under a simple catch at mid-on. 15 for 2 became 16 for 3 when Noor ul Rahman gloved another sharp lifter down the leg side and was brilliantly taken one-handed by diving keeper Akbar Ali. Mondol had three wickets in his first two overs for just 5 runs.

At 16 for 3, captain Darwish Rasooli and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai tried to steady the ship. They took almost six overs to add 19 cautious runs, rotating the strike against the spinners Meherob and Rakibul Hasan. Rasooli looked the more comfortable of the two, driving Abu Hider through covers for the first boundary of the innings in the eighth over. But just when a partnership seemed to be building, Ijaz danced down the track to off-spinner Meherob, missed a straight one completely, and was stumped by a mile, 35 for 4 in the 10th over.

The very next over, Nangeyalia Kharote, the left-arm spinning all-rounder, tried to loft Meherob over midwicket and only succeeded in skying a simple catch to deep square leg, 35 for 5. Afghanistan had lost half their side with only 35 on the board and still more than ten overs left. Farmanullah and Darwish Rasooli then added a scratchy 27 runs for the sixth wicket, the highest partnership of the innings. Farmanullah struggled badly for timing, managing just 6 off 17 balls, while Rasooli did most of the scoring, lofting Rakibul Hasan for a couple of sixes.

But once Rakibul Hasan trapped Farmanullah lbw with an arm ball that skidded through, the end came quickly. In the very next over, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain produced a beauty, a quick off-cutter that came in with the angle and crashed into Rasooli’s off stump for a well-made 27. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar lasted only four balls before Rakibul spun one past his outside edge and clipped off stump. Abdollah Ahmadzai picked out long-off trying to clear the infield, and finally Bilal Sami was run out attempting a suicidal second run, Afghanistan all out for 78 in the 19th over.

Ripon Mondol finished with dream figures of 4-0-10-3 and was rightly named Player of the Match. Left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan took 4-0-7-3, constantly varying his pace and getting sharp turns under lights. Meherob, Abu Hider, and Saqlain chipped in with one wicket each, but the tone was set by Mondol’s sensational new-ball burst. Afghanistan’s experienced middle order simply had no answer to disciplined, swinging, spinning bowling on a surface offering good bounce and sideways movement.

Bangladesh A Innings

Chasing just 79 to win, Bangladesh A lost a couple of early wickets but never looked in any serious trouble. Openers Habibur Rahman Sohan and Jishan Alam started positively, with Sohan taking on the tall Bilal Sami in the very first over, flicking him past square leg for four and then lofting Abdollah Ahmadzai over mid-on for another boundary. Sohan looked in fine touch, driving and pulling confidently, racing to 10 off 7 balls.

However, the introduction of mystery spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar in the fourth over changed the complexion briefly. Bowling his quick googlies and leg-breaks, Ghazanfar deceived Sohan in the flight as the batter went for a big drive and only managed a thin edge through to the keeper, 19 for 1. Two overs later, Jishan Alam tried to cut a delivery that spun back sharply and took the inside edge onto the pad, looping up for an easy catch to Nangeyalia Kharote at slip, 24 for 2 in the seventh over.

At that stage, with two new batters at the crease and spin operating from both ends, Afghanistan sniffed a chance. But Zawad Abrar and Mahidul Islam Ankon are experienced domestic campaigners, and they calmly knocked the ball around, happy to play second fiddle to the spinners rather than force the pace. The required rate was always under six, and they simply refused to take any risks.

Abrar played the anchor role to perfection, rotating the strike with nudges into the leg side and the occasional drive through covers. Ankon, coming off a good domestic season, looked more fluent, driving Qais Ahmad through extra cover for four and then pulling Bilal Sami to the midwicket boundary. The fifty partnership came up in the 11th over, and by then Bangladesh needed less than 20 runs.

The spinners kept trying as Qais Ahmad bowled his full quota of four overs for just 14 runs, Nangeyalia Kharote went for 29 in his four, but the asking rate had dropped so low that even dot balls didn’t create pressure. Eventually, with the scores level, Ankon flicked Abdollah Ahmadzai to deep square leg for a couple to seal the victory, Bangladesh A home with 39 balls to spare.

Zawad Abrar finished unbeaten on 24 off 22, and Mahidul Islam Ankon unbeaten on 27 off 30, a mature, match-winning stand of 55 for the third wicket that took only 44 deliveries. Ghazanfar was the only bowler to take wickets (2 for 18), but the target was simply too small for Afghanistan to defend despite their spinners finding a turn. In the end, Bangladesh A’s bowlers, led by the outstanding Ripon Mondol, set up a thoroughly professional victory that kept them unbeaten and firmly at the top of Group A. Meanwhile, Afghanistan A slipped to their second defeat and now face a tough road to the semi-finals.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

When the match seemed headed for a quick end after Afghanistan A were bundled out for a paltry 78, young mystery spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar gave his team a glimmer of hope with a sensational bowling spell. This spell almost turned the game on its head. Coming on to bowl in the fifth over with Bangladesh A already 19/0, the 18-year-old struck almost immediately. He clean-bowled the dangerous Habibur Rahman Sohan with a sharp googly for 10, then deceived Jishan Alam in the flight and had him caught at long-off for another 10.

In the space of two overs, Bangladesh A slipped from 19/0 to 24/2, and the required 55 runs suddenly looked far away on a tricky Doha surface. Ghazanfar kept things unbelievably tight, conceding just eight runs in his four overs while bowling one maiden, stunning figures of 4-1-8-2. His variations baffled the Bangladesh batters, and for a brief moment, Afghanistan believed they could defend the lowest total of the tournament so far.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

After the Afghanistan A batsmen came out to chase or set a target in the match, they faced a nightmare spell from Bangladesh Emerging Team’s left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan, who was rightfully named TCNI’s Hero of the Day. Bowling his full quota of 4 overs with incredible control, the 24-year-old Rakibul picked up 3 crucial wickets for just 7 runs at a stunning economy rate of 1.75, easily the most economical spell of the innings.

He broke the back of the middle and lower order by dismissing Farmanullah for 6, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar for 1, and Abdollah Ahmadzai for 0 in quick succession, turning a shaky Afghanistan innings into a complete collapse. His three wickets included two bowled and one caught, showing how he outfoxed the batsmen with clever variations and tight lines. Supported brilliantly by Ripon Mondol’s early triple-strike, Rakibul’s miserly spell ensured Afghanistan A were bundled out for a paltry 78 in just 18.4 overs. His match figures of 4-0-7-3 not only destroyed any hope of recovery but also sealed a commanding position for his side.

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