Afghanistan’s struggles in the Asia Cup 2025 have continued, with a loss in the first T20I match against Bangladesh. This marks their third consecutive defeat. The match, held in Sharjah, saw a crucial error by an Afghan player that proved costly. The incident involved a run-out and a subsequent near replication of the same mistake.
The Run-Out Incident
During the fifth over of Afghanistan’s innings, wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz initiated a run after a soft shot. Darwish Rasooli, at the non-striker’s end, initially hesitated but Gurbaz had already started running. Rasooli then attempted to complete the run, but Zakir Ali had already knocked over the stumps, resulting in Rasooli’s dismissal without scoring.
Gurbaz’s Near Repeat
On the very next ball, Gurbaz almost repeated the same mistake. After Rasooli’s dismissal, Mohammad Ishaq came to the crease. On Mustafizur Rahman’s third ball, he hit a shot and Gurbaz, at the non-striker’s end, began running. Ishaq, however, sent him back. Gurbaz quickly turned around and dove, managing to reach the non-striker’s end just in time to avoid being run out. Had the throw been direct, he would have been out.
Match Summary
Gurbaz was the top scorer for Afghanistan, hitting 40 runs from 31 balls, including two fours and three sixes. Afghanistan, batting first, made 151 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. Bangladesh chased down the target, scoring the required runs while losing 6 wickets in 18.4 overs.