Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Highlights, World Cup 2023: BAN beat AFG by six wickets

Two good overs with no boundaries in it adds on to the pressure. Shakib then cleans up Najibullah Zadran in the following over, who departs for 5(13).

Afghanistan had got off to a good start but have now lost half their side with 123 on the board in 29 overs.

The run-rate pressure results in a wicket as Mehidy Hasan Miraz provides Bangladesh with a third breakthrough. Hashmatullah Shahidi tries to counter the spinner by stepping down the track but doesn't get the desired timing and is caught by Towhid Hridoy at mid-on. He falls for 18(38).

Mustafizur Rahman then gets rid of Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the next over. Goes for the aerial route but finds Tanzid Hasan, who covers quite a distance running in from square leg and completes a good catch. Gurbaz falls for 47(62).

Mohammad Nabi joins the proceedings, Najibullah Zadran is the batter at the other end. AFG: 112/4 (26 overs)

Mustafizur drops it at length and offers some width and Hashmatullah Shahidi whacks it for a boundary square of the wicket. AFG: 112/2 (24 overs)

Gurbaz and Hashmatullah Shahidi finally get going after a bit of a dry spell as Afghanistan also edge past the 100-run mark in 22 overs.

Meanwhile, Rahmanullah Gurbaz is inching towards his half-century. AFG: 106/2 (23 overs)

Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib have kept things tight after the drinks break as five runs and a wicket come in the last four overs. AFG: 88/2 (19 overs)

Second wicket for Shakib as Rahmat Shah top edges the ball while trying to hit it towards long-on. The ball skies in the air and is caught by Litton Das at short cover. He falls for 18(25).

Shakib Al Hasan is back into the attack and he starts with a decent over as four runs come in it.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz is introduced and he bowls a wide, and the wicketkeeper fails to save the ball. Beats the batter, then the keeper and races away towards the boundary. AFG: 82/1 (15 overs)

Shoriful Islam is reintroduced in the attack and he bowls a short of a length ball, just outside off and it is hit for a boundary towards the third man region for a boundary. AFG: 70/1 (13 overs)

Rahmat Shah means business as he stands tall against a short delivery by Taskin and pulls it for a boundary towards mid-wicket.

Mustafizur then follows it up with a decent over as Afghanistan race to 61/1 in 12 overs.

Shakib al Hasan gets Bangladesh the first breakthrough as Ibrahim Zadran attempts a sweep but gets a top edge in the process, which is caught by Tanzid Hasan near the square leg fence. Zadran falls for 22(25).

Rahmat Shah joins Gurbaz in the middle as Mustafizur continues from the other end.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan reach 50/1 after the end of 1st powerplay.

Gurbaz steps down against Mustafizur and sends the ball straight down the ground for a maximum.

Mustafizur then bowls a short delivery later in the over, which hits Gurbaz on his shoulders. The physio rush to the ground and we can see something being strapped on his hands.

AFG: 47/0 (8 overs)

Looking at the start Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran has provided, Shakib al Hasan joins the attack. He too fails to make any inroads as Ibrahim Zadran hits the spinner for a boundary on the offside. AFG: 39/0 (7 overs)

A short delivery by Taskin, coming at Ibrahim Zadran's chest and he times his pull perfectly to dispatch the ball over the square leg fence.

Mustafizur Rahman joins the attack and he too is hit for a four by Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Six overs are done as AFG reach 32/0.

Shoriful Islam pitches it at good length and offers some width, and the ball is whacked for a boundary by Ibrahim Zadran. AFG: 20/0 (4 overs)

Shoriful Islam will share the new ball duties with Taskin.

He bowls the fourth delivery right on Gurbaz's pads, who connects it from the middle of his blade to send the ball in the gap between short mid-wicket and mid-on fielder for a boundary.

Taskin Ahmed continues from other end and bowls a length ball outside off, which is slapped for a boundary by Ibrahim Zadran. AFG: 16/0 (3 overs)

A full, wide delivery by Taskin and Gurbaz pokes it in the gap on offside. Towhid Hridoy wins the race between him and the ball, and saves it from reaching the boundary ropes. The batters run three.

AFG: 3/0 (1 over)

Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz walk out to open the innings.

Taskin Ahmed will lead the attack for Bangladesh.

The players and the umpires walk out in the middle for the pre-match rituals. Live action to start shortly.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan wins the toss and opts to bowl against Afghanistan in Dharamsala

We are minutes away from the toss in Dharamsala now. We can seen the teams in a huddle now…some last-minute inspiring words there from the senior players, coaches.

Fast bowlers have picked 36 wickets in Dharamsala at 29.77, with an economy rate of 5.01. Spinners, on the other hand, have managed just 17 wickets at 32.76 with an economy rate of 4.74.

The HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala has hosted eight completed ODI games between 2013 and 2017. Teams batting first have won only two of those matches. This will also be the debut appearance of the two sides at the venue.

It is partly sunny and cooler in Dharamsala, although a bit of rain is expected in the afternoon, at around 2 to 3pm.

The narrative in the build-up to it was more interesting than the game. Afghanistan by then had already been knocked out of the World Cup after six losses in six games. Bangladesh, meanwhile, still clung on for dear life with two wins in six matches. When then captain Gulbadin Naib was asked in the pre-match presser to preview the game, he responded with a hilarious remark saying: "Hum toh doobe hain sanam, tumko bhi lekar doobenge."

Well, Shakib and Mushfiqur ensured that Bangladesh stay alive in the contest with their respective fifties en route to a 61-run stand as the team finished with 262/7. Shakib later picked up a five-wicket haul while Mustafizur bagged two as Afghanistan were folded for 200 runs.