Bangladesh’s batting frailty hit a new low in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, when they crumbled to a miserable 109 all out while chasing just 191 against Afghanistan. The defeat not only confirmed yet another series loss, their third of 2025, but also symbolized how Bangladesh’s ODI batting lineup has become increasingly shaky. Once the nation’s most reliable format, ODIs have now become a mirror reflecting Bangladesh’s structural decay and lack of adaptation.
The match encapsulated all the recurring themes of Bangladesh’s recent struggles. After Afghanistan posted a modest 190, the Tigers seemed in control early on. But from the 13th over onward, Afghanistan’s precise field placements and tight spin bowling dismantled the innings. Rashid Khan’s masterclass (5 for 17) and Azmatullah Omarzai’s early strikes exposed a fragile middle order unable to absorb pressure or rotate strike. Bangladesh collapsed in clusters, losing three wickets without adding a run at one point. Only Towhid Hridoy, with 24, offered temporary resistance before being trapped by Rashid’s googly. Within 28.3 overs, the entire team was dismissed, registering their lowest-ever ODI total against Afghanistan and their third straight series defeat of the year.
This wasn’t an isolated collapse. It was merely the latest in a pattern that has haunted Bangladesh since the 2023 World Cup. Over the past two years, Bangladesh have played 26 ODIs, scoring a total of 5,572 runs for the loss of 214 wickets (excluding not outs). That translates to an average of roughly 26 runs per wicket, a glaring statistic for a team once known for batting depth.
To put that decline in perspective, between 2015 and 2021, Bangladesh averaged close to 35 runs per wicket in ODIs, regularly beating top-ranked sides. Now, even 250 seems a distant dream. The data tells a story of inconsistency, but the match summaries expose a deeper, systemic failure: a team repeatedly losing control after promising starts.
In November 2024, the “shaky batting” narrative truly began. Against Afghanistan in Sharjah, Bangladesh imploded from 120 for 2 to 143 all out, losing eight wickets for 23 runs to a 17-year-old spinner, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. Later, a similar script unfolded in Sri Lanka, where Bangladesh collapsed from 100 for 1 to 105 for 8, a meltdown of seven wickets for just five runs. Time and again, collapses arrived in clusters, as if triggered by panic rather than skill gaps.
It’s not as if Bangladesh haven’t had moments of brilliance. Soumya Sarkar’s 169 in Nelson, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s steady 122 against Sri Lanka, Towhid Hridoy’s fighting 100 in the Champions Trophy, or Mahmudullah’s late-career consistency with three fifties in a row – these innings stand as reminders that individual quality still exists. But the problem is collective failure. Too often, when one batter performs, the others crumble. The team repeatedly fails to convert platforms into match-winning totals, an issue of temperament and planning as much as technique.
In New Zealand, they lost after posting their highest-ever first-innings total there (291) because only two batters scored more than 20. Against West Indies, even 321 wasn’t enough, with bowlers unable to defend and batters failing to pace innings smartly. Against Afghanistan, 244 proved short despite Mahmudullah’s 98, and in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, 109 all out exposed the growing mental fragility of a team unsure of its identity in ODIs.
The roots of this crisis run deeper than form. Bangladesh’s ODI decline is also a reflection of shifting priorities. Once the format that built their cricketing identity, ODIs have become a neglected middle child between T20 glamour and Test prestige. Domestically, the Dhaka Premier League, the country’s only List A competition, has lost its relevance. Many national players skip it due to international schedules or franchise T20 leagues, depriving the next generation of 50-over match experience.
This lack of domestic grounding shows in the way newer batters approach ODIs. Players like Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, and Jaker Ali have the talent, but they lack the tactical awareness and pacing instincts that defined the generation of Shakib, Mushfiqur, and Tamim. The result is visible: hurried shot selection, poor strike rotation, and repeated collapses under spin pressure.
Away from home, they’ve won no series outside the subcontinent since 2018. Across 26 matches, they’ve lost three or more wickets within 20 runs on 11 occasions, often turning competitive positions into defeats.
Ironically, during this same period, Bangladesh’s T20 side has enjoyed a resurgence, winning four consecutive bilateral series. That includes whitewashing Afghanistan, just recently, and victories over Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Pakistan, and even a full-strength West Indies. Their success in the shorter format stems from clarity of role, fearless intent, and aggressive fielding – qualities that have gone missing in ODIs.
The same players who thrive in T20s appear hesitant in 50-over matches, unable to bridge the mental gap between explosive starts and sustained innings. The contrast highlights not just a technical deficiency, but a failure in long-format temperament and planning.
Bangladesh’s current struggles mark a dramatic fall from their golden ODI era. Between 2015 and 2019, under Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s leadership, the Tigers reached the 2015 World Cup quarterfinals, the 2017 Champions Trophy semifinals, and were runners-up in the 2012 and 2018 ODI Asia Cups. That period was built on stability, a core of experienced batters who mastered the rhythm of 50-over cricket.
Today, that stability is gone. Shakib, Tamim, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur are either semi-retired or absent, and the replacements haven’t replicated their consistency. Bangladesh’s ODI game, once their pride, has become an afterthought. The lack of preparation, insufficient 50-over domestic matches, and constant squad rotations have eroded the team’s identity.
Two years from now, Bangladesh will return to another World Cup – this time in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. If their current trajectory continues, they might even have to play the qualification tournament just to participate. Only the top nine teams qualify directly. Currently 10th with 76 points, Bangladesh must overtake ninth-placed West Indies (80). A whitewash in the upcoming three-match series could lift them to ninth, keeping direct qualification hopes alive.
For a team that once dreamed of being a global ODI contender, that would mark not just a statistical regression, but a symbolic collapse.
Bottom 5 Lowest Batting Averages (Test Nations, 2023–2025)
- Zimbabwe – 20.51
- Bangladesh – 26.03
- Ireland – 26.67
- Pakistan – 29.76
- England – 29.92
A Timeline of Batting Meltdowns
Oct 2025 – vs Afghanistan (2nd ODI)
All out for 109, losing 6 wickets for 30 runs and 3 without adding a run while chasing 191.
Oct 2025 – vs Afghanistan (1st ODI)
Collapsed from 154/3 to 221 all out, losing 7 wickets for 67 runs.
Jul 2025 – vs Sri Lanka (3rd ODI)
Bowled out for 186, losing last 5 wickets for 33 runs in chase of 285.
Jul 2025 – vs Sri Lanka (1st ODI)
From 100/1 to 105/8, losing 7 wickets for 5 runs — one of ODI’s worst collapses.
Feb 2025 – vs India (Champions Trophy)
Slumped to 35/5, recovered to 228 all out thanks to Hridoy’s 100.
Dec 2024 – vs West Indies (2nd ODI)
From 115/1 to 227 all out, losing 6 wickets for 74 runs.
Nov 2024 – vs Afghanistan (1st ODI)
From 120/2 to 143 all out, losing 8 wickets for 23 runs.
