Afghanistan captain Mahboob Khan won the toss and chose to bat first at the ICC Academy Ground. He sent Bangladesh Under 19 into the field in the opening match of the Under 19 Asia Cup.
Bangladesh came into the tournament as the champions of the last two editions. Azizul Hakim Tamim leads the side once again. The team is aiming for a third straight title.
The recent record between Bangladesh and Afghanistan shows a tight contest. Both teams have won two matches each in their last five meetings. One match ended without a result.
Tamim led Bangladesh to the Under 19 Asia Cup title last year. The team management kept trust in him for this campaign. Jowad Abrar serves as the vice captain.
Bangladesh are placed in Group B of the tournament. Sri Lanka and Nepal are the other teams in the group. Bangladesh will play Nepal in their second match on 15 December at the Seven Seas Stadium.
The group stage will end on 17 December. Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in that match at the ICC Academy Ground. Bangladesh won the Under 19 Asia Cup in 2023 and 2024. Both tournaments were held in the United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan Under-19:
Khalid Ahmadzai, Osman Sadat, Faisal Shinozada, Uzairullah Niazai, Mahboob Khan, Azizullah Miakhil, Khatir Stanikzai, Abdul Aziz, Roohullah Arab, Wahidullah Zadran, Salam Khan.
Bangldesh Under-19:
Zawad Abrar, Azizul Hakim, Samiun Basir, Sheikh Parvez Jibon, Rizan Hossan, Md Abdullah, Kalam Siddiki, Iqbal Hossain Emon, Rifat Beg, Shahriar Ahmed, Saad Islam
