The Afghanistan national cricket team vs Bangladesh national cricket team timeline stretches from 2014 to 2025, spanning 22 ODIs and 13 T20Is, with Afghanistan and Bangladesh locked at 11-11 in ODIs and Afghanistan holding a 7-6 edge in T20Is. No Test has ever been played between the two sides, making this rivalry a purely white-ball story shaped by UAE spin tracks, Bangladeshi home conditions, and two ICC World Cup shocks.
Few fixtures in modern cricket have flipped the balance of power as sharply as this one. A decade ago, Bangladesh were the established Full Member and Afghanistan the plucky newcomer fighting for respect. Today, the Afghanistan national cricket team vs Bangladesh national cricket team timeline reads like a case study in how fast a rising cricketing nation can close a gap that once looked permanent – and in recent years, overtake it entirely.
Search Intent Behind This Timeline
Readers searching for this topic typically want one of four things, and this article answers all of them directly.
What Readers Actually Want to Know
Most searches around the Afghanistan national cricket team vs Bangladesh national cricket team timeline fall into these buckets: the complete head-to-head record, key turning-point matches, recent series results, and context on why Afghanistan have surged in the last three years. This piece is structured to satisfy every one of those angles without forcing readers to dig through scorecards.
The dominant intent is informational – fans, stats trackers, and fantasy users want a chronological, verified breakdown of every meeting, not a single match report.
How the Rivalry Began (2014-2016)
Afghanistan won the opening exchange in 2014, but Bangladesh dominated the early years of this fixture, winning three of the first five meetings between 2014 and 2016.
The First Meeting in Fatullah
Afghanistan announced themselves on March 1, 2014, in Fatullah, winning by 32 runs in what was, at the time, considered a mild upset given Bangladesh’s Full Member status and home advantage. It was an early signal that Afghanistan’s rapid rise through the Associate ranks wasn’t a fluke.
The 2015 World Cup Reality Check
Bangladesh answered decisively at the 2015 World Cup in Canberra, thumping Afghanistan by 105 runs. This result reset expectations and reminded everyone that the gap between an established Test-playing nation and an emerging side was still wide on the biggest stage.
The Chaotic 2016 Dhaka Series
The most dramatic early chapter came in a three-match ODI series in Dhaka between September and October 2016. Bangladesh won the series 2-1, but the middle match produced a nail-biting 2-wicket Afghanistan win with just two balls remaining – proof that Afghanistan could handle pressure finishes even on unfamiliar soil.
The Turning Point: 2018 Asia Cup and T20I Breakthrough
2018 marked Afghanistan’s first sustained show of dominance, highlighted by a 136-run demolition at the Asia Cup and a clean 3-0 T20I series sweep over Bangladesh.
Abu Dhabi Sends a Message
At the 2018 Asia Cup, Afghanistan crushed Bangladesh by 136 runs in the group stage, their biggest winning margin against Bangladesh up to that point. Bangladesh salvaged pride days later with a nervy 3-run win, but the message had landed: Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack could dismantle a top-order built for pace.
A Clean Sweep in T20Is
That same year, Afghanistan swept a three-match T20I series 3-0 against Bangladesh, played in India. This was arguably the first unmistakable signal that Rashid Khan’s generation had closed – and in the shortest format, possibly overtaken – the gap in white-ball cricket.
Bangladesh’s World Cup Response
Bangladesh reasserted themselves at the 2019 World Cup in Southampton, winning by 62 runs in a match that carried little tournament weight for the already-eliminated Afghanistan but mattered enormously for Bangladesh’s net run rate calculations.
2022: The Year Momentum Genuinely Shifted
The 2022 Chattogram ODI series was the first time Afghanistan won on Bangladeshi soil in a full series context, not just as an isolated shock result, setting up their surge over the following three years.
Chattogram: Afghanistan’s First Series-Context Win in Bangladesh
Bangladesh won the 2022 Chattogram ODI series 2-1, but Afghanistan’s solitary win – a composed 7-wicket chase in the decider – proved they could win consistently away from neutral UAE conditions, not merely as a one-off giant-killing act.
Sharjah Confirms the Spin Advantage
Weeks later at the T20 Asia Cup in Sharjah, Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets. This victory reinforced a pattern that would define the rest of the Afghanistan national cricket team vs Bangladesh national cricket team timeline: Afghanistan’s spin trio, anchored by Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, consistently strangled Bangladesh’s middle order on tracks offering turn and bounce.
Breaking the Mirpur Barrier
Earlier that year, Afghanistan had also won a T20I in Mirpur by 8 wickets – their first comfortable win on Bangladeshi home turf, breaking a psychological barrier that had lingered since the early 2016 encounters.
Read More: Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Bangladesh National Cricket Team Timeline
2023: The Most Competitive Year in the Rivalry’s History
2023 produced results split almost evenly across three countries and three formats, making it statistically the most balanced year in the entire Afghanistan-Bangladesh rivalry.
Chattogram ODIs: Afghanistan Take Control Early
In the July 2023 ODI series in Chattogram, Afghanistan won the first two matches convincingly – a tense 17-run DLS win followed by a commanding 142-run rout – before Bangladesh salvaged the finale by 7 wickets. Afghanistan still claimed the series 2-1, another win on Bangladeshi soil.
Sylhet T20Is: Bangladesh Reverses the Trend
Days later in Sylhet, Bangladesh swept the two-match T20I series 2-0, proving that home conditions and local pitch knowledge still mattered heavily in the shortest format.
Asia Cup and World Cup Setbacks
At the September 2023 Asia Cup in Lahore, Bangladesh won by 89 runs in a rain-disrupted tournament. Then at the October 2023 World Cup in Dharamsala, Bangladesh chased down Afghanistan’s total with 6 wickets in hand, denying Afghanistan a marquee win on cricket’s biggest ODI stage.
Despite Afghanistan’s bilateral series dominance in 2023, Bangladesh consistently found a way to win the matches that carried the most global visibility – a pattern that would finally break the following year.
2024: The T20 World Cup Upset That Changed Everything
Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by 8 runs via the DLS method at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Kingstown, a result that sent them into their first-ever T20 World Cup semifinal and remains the single most significant match in this rivalry.
Kingstown: Afghanistan’s Defining Moment
On June 24, 2024, in a rain-curtailed Super 8 clash reduced to 19 overs, Afghanistan restricted Bangladesh’s revised target of 114 and bowled them out for just 105. This wasn’t just a bilateral win – it was the result that unlocked Afghanistan’s maiden semifinal appearance at a T20 World Cup, arguably the most important 40 minutes of cricket in the country’s international history.
Why This Match Mattered More Than the Scoreline Suggests
The margin of 8 runs looks modest on paper, but the context elevates it enormously. Bangladesh entered as the more experienced tournament side, yet folded under pressure against Afghanistan’s disciplined spin attack in tricky, rain-affected conditions – a tactical execution masterclass rather than a fluke.
The Sharjah ODI Series Follows Suit
Months later, in November 2024, Afghanistan won a three-match ODI series in Sharjah 2-1, taking the first match by 92 runs and the decider by 5 wickets. Bangladesh’s only win came by 68 runs in the middle game, but the series confirmed Afghanistan’s growing consistency, not just their capacity for one-off upsets.
2025: Afghanistan’s Complete Dominance in Abu Dhabi
Afghanistan completed a stunning 3-0 ODI series sweep over Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi in October 2025, including a record-setting 200-run victory in the decisive final match.
A Sweep That Redefined the Rivalry
Afghanistan won the first match by 5 wickets, the second by 81 runs, and closed out the series with a crushing 200-run demolition – one of the most one-sided results in the entire history of this fixture. This wasn’t a one-off shock; it was a full series statement that Afghanistan’s ODI unit had moved decisively ahead.
Why 2025 Changes the Narrative Permanently
Combined with the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal breakthrough, the 2025 Abu Dhabi sweep confirms a genuine shift in power rather than a temporary spike in form. Afghanistan are no longer the team capable of the occasional giant-killing win – they are now, by recent results, the stronger side in this rivalry across both white-ball formats.
Complete Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Timeline (Year by Year)
| Year | Format | Venue | Result |
| 2014 | ODI | Fatullah | Afghanistan won by 32 runs |
| 2015 | ODI, World Cup | Canberra | Bangladesh won by 105 runs |
| 2016 | ODI series (3 matches) | Dhaka | Bangladesh won 2-1 |
| 2018 | ODI, Asia Cup | Abu Dhabi | Afghanistan won by 136 runs, Bangladesh won by 3 runs |
| 2018 | T20I series (3 matches) | India | Afghanistan won 3-0 |
| 2019 | ODI, World Cup | Southampton | Bangladesh won by 62 runs |
| 2022 | T20I | Mirpur | Afghanistan won by 8 wickets |
| 2022 | ODI series (3 matches) | Chattogram | Bangladesh won 2-1 |
| 2022 | T20I, Asia Cup | Sharjah | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets |
| 2023 | ODI series (3 matches) | Chattogram | Afghanistan won 2-1 |
| 2023 | T20I series (2 matches) | Sylhet | Bangladesh won 2-0 |
| 2023 | ODI, Asia Cup | Lahore | Bangladesh won by 89 runs |
| 2023 | ODI, World Cup | Dharamsala | Bangladesh won by 6 wickets |
| 2024 | T20I, T20 World Cup Super 8 | Kingstown | Afghanistan won by 8 runs (DLS) |
| 2024 | ODI series (3 matches) | Sharjah | Afghanistan won 2-1 |
| 2025 | ODI series (3 matches) | Abu Dhabi | Afghanistan won 3-0 |
Tactical Breakdown: Why Afghanistan Have Surged Since 2022
Afghanistan’s rise is built on a spin-dominant attack that exploits slow, low, turning pitches in UAE venues, combined with improved top-order composure under pressure in decider matches.
The Spin Factor
Afghanistan’s core strength throughout this rivalry has been their spin attack, historically led by Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. On UAE surfaces that offer natural turn, Bangladesh’s middle order – traditionally more comfortable against pace – has repeatedly struggled to rotate strike and build partnerships against tight spin bowling.
Bangladesh’s Home Advantage Still Matters
Bangladesh’s strongest results in this fixture have consistently come on home soil in Chattogram, Sylhet, and Mirpur, where local knowledge of slow, low pitches neutralizes some of Afghanistan’s spin advantage. This venue-dependent pattern is critical context for anyone trying to predict future results in the Afghanistan national cricket team vs Bangladesh national cricket team timeline.
Decider Matches Reveal the Bigger Trend
Since 2022, Afghanistan have won the majority of series deciders against Bangladesh, a strong indicator of improved composure under pressure – a quality that separates good white-ball teams from great ones.
What This Timeline Reveals About the Future of This Rivalry
The Afghanistan national cricket team vs Bangladesh national cricket team timeline shows an unmistakable arc: Bangladesh dominated the early exchanges through 2019, the rivalry became genuinely competitive between 2022 and 2023, and Afghanistan has taken clear control from 2024 onward. The 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal run and the 2025 Abu Dhabi 3-0 sweep are not isolated anomalies – they represent a structural shift in team strength, bowling depth, and tournament composure.
Going forward, expect future series to hinge heavily on venue selection. Neutral UAE fixtures currently favor Afghanistan strongly, while home fixtures in Bangladesh remain genuinely competitive, keeping this one of the more unpredictable bilateral rivalries in world cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has won more matches in the Afghanistan national cricket team vs Bangladesh national cricket team timeline?
The two teams are level at 11-11 in ODIs, while Afghanistan lead the T20I head-to-head 7-6.
Have Afghanistan and Bangladesh ever played a Test match against each other?
No. Their entire rivalry has been confined to ODIs and T20Is, with no Test ever scheduled between the two nations.
What was the most significant result in Afghanistan vs Bangladesh history?
Afghanistan’s 8-run win at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Kingstown, which sent them into their first-ever semifinal at the tournament.
Where did Afghanistan complete a 3-0 series sweep over Bangladesh?
In Abu Dhabi in October 2025, including a dominant 200-run win in the final match of the series.
Why does Afghanistan perform better against Bangladesh in UAE conditions?
UAE pitches typically offer more turn and bounce, which suits Afghanistan’s spin-heavy bowling attack against a Bangladesh middle order more comfortable facing pace.
Did Bangladesh ever win a series against Afghanistan on home soil?
Yes. Bangladesh won ODI and T20I series against Afghanistan in Chattogram, Mirpur, and Sylhet across 2016, 2022, and 2023.
What happened during the 2018 Asia Cup meeting between the two sides?
Afghanistan won the first meeting by 136 runs before Bangladesh won the rematch narrowly by just 3 runs.
How have Afghanistan performed against Bangladesh at ICC World Cups specifically?
Afghanistan have not beaten Bangladesh at an ODI World Cup; Bangladesh won both their 2015 and 2023 meetings.
What is the most recent result in the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh rivalry?
Afghanistan’s 3-0 ODI series sweep in Abu Dhabi in October 2025 is the most recent completed series between the two sides.
Is Afghanistan now considered the stronger team in this rivalry?
Based on results since 2024 – including a T20 World Cup semifinal run and a dominant 2025