Rashid Khan's 4/31 Wrecks Bangladesh as Afghanistan Cruise Into Tri-Series Final
By NajamSports Team | October 21, 2026
Afghanistan just keep finding new ways to win. At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, they bundled Bangladesh out for 160 and chased it down with 7 wickets and nearly 15 overs to spare in the 3rd ODI of the UAE tri-nation series. The win — sealed in just 35.3 overs — puts Afghanistan into the final on October 23 with a perfect record of two wins from two.
File photo: Rashid Khan, who destroyed Bangladesh with 4/31 in Sharjah. (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 — Afghanistan Cricket Board)
What Happened?
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first — a decision they would regret within hours. Their innings never got going: wickets fell in clumps, the middle order collapsed, and only one man stood tall. Parvez Hossain Emon fought a lone battle with 70 off 96 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes), but once Rashid Khan trapped him LBW, the rest folded for 160 all out in 41.2 overs.
Rashid was the destroyer-in-chief with 4 for 31 — Emon, Shoriful Islam, Al Islam and Mustafizur Rahman all fell to him. He was backed up superbly: Azmatullah Omarzai removed Najmul Hossain Shanto and skipper Towhid Hridoy, Yamin Ahmadzai struck twice with the new ball, while Mohammad Nabi and Bilal Sami picked up one each.
The chase was never in doubt. Afghanistan's top order knocked off the 161-run target for the loss of just three wickets in 35.3 overs — a thumping 7-wicket win with 87 balls to spare.
Match Summary
- Match: Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 3rd ODI — UAE ODI Tri-Nation Series 2026
- Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
- Toss: Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat
- Bangladesh: 160 all out (41.2 ov) — Emon 70, Saif Hassan 41; Rashid Khan 4/31
- Afghanistan: 161/3 (35.3 ov) — won by 7 wickets
- Series position: Afghanistan (2 wins) qualify for the final; Bangladesh eliminated
Why This News Matters
File photo: Afghanistan's ODI side — two wins from two in the UAE tri-series. (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
This was not just another group-stage win — it decided the shape of the tournament. With this result, the tri-series table is settled: Afghanistan face Zimbabwe in the final on October 23 in Sharjah. Bangladesh, beaten in both their matches, go home.
Read that again: Afghanistan have now beaten Zimbabwe by 158 runs and Bangladesh by 7 wickets in the space of three days. That is not luck — that is a pattern. In my earlier preview of this match I wrote that Afghanistan's bowling attack would be the difference, and Rashid Khan made that prediction look easy.
Our Analysis: Bangladesh's One-Man Show vs Afghanistan's Complete Machine
Here is what worries me about Bangladesh, and it has nothing to do with this one evening in Sharjah. Look at their card: Emon 70, Saif Hassan 41 — and then nothing. Shanto 15, Hridoy 0, Miraz 2. When your number six to eleven contribute almost nothing, you are not a batting unit, you are a batting individual with ten spectators. Bangladesh lost their last meaningful partnership the moment Emon fell to Rashid, and the tail offered zero resistance.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, look like a genuinely complete ODI side right now. Think about it: two days ago they posted 294 and crushed Zimbabwe by 158 runs batting first. Tonight they chased 161 without breaking a sweat. A team that can dominate in both innings, home conditions or not, is a team nobody wants to face. Rashid Khan at 4/31 is the headline, but notice the support cast — Omarzai's double strike removed both set batters at the top, and Ahmadzai's new-ball burst meant Bangladesh were 38/4 before they knew what hit them.
The final against Zimbabwe on October 23 now looks like Afghanistan's to lose. Yes, finals are strange animals, and Zimbabwe did beat Bangladesh in this same tournament. But Afghanistan hammered Zimbabwe by 158 runs just 48 hours ago on these same UAE pitches. If they play anywhere near that level again, the trophy is theirs. For Bangladesh, the questions are harder: two defeats, one batting collapse after another, and a middle order that simply does not score runs. That is a rebuild job, not a bad-day-at-the-office story.
Conclusion
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, where the 3rd ODI was played — the final is also here on October 23. (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Afghanistan's 7-wicket demolition of Bangladesh in Sharjah was clinical from first ball to last — Rashid Khan's 4/31, a disciplined supporting attack, and a chase finished with 87 balls in hand. The result sends Afghanistan into the October 23 tri-series final against Zimbabwe as overwhelming favorites, while Bangladesh head home after two straight defeats. I will have the final preview for you before Thursday's decider — stay with NajamSports.online.
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Read more
- Afghanistan vs Bangladesh 3rd ODI Preview: Head-to-Head, Who Will Win and Playing 11
- Afghanistan Crush Zimbabwe by 158 Runs in 2nd ODI
- Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI Preview
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo — Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 3rd Match, UAE ODI Tri-Series 2026 scorecard
- CricTracker — AFG vs BAN 3rd ODI result, Sharjah, October 21, 2026
- Sportradar — Final match summary and player statistics