Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, elected to bat first after winning the toss against Bangladesh in the opening ODI in Sharjah. The decision marked the debut of left-handed opening batter Sediqullah Atal, who replaced the injured Ibrahim Zadran. Atal has previously featured in six T20Is.
Afghanistan’s lineup included four spin-bowling options: legspinners Rashid Khan and Rahmat Shah, left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, and offspinners Mohammad Nabi and AM Ghazanfar. Fazalhaq Farooqi served as their sole frontline quick, with Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib providing support.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, faced the absence of key players Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, and Tanzim Hasan due to various reasons. Nasum Ahmed and Nahid Rana were also unavailable for the match. Their team featured three frontline pacers in Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam, along with two spinners in Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain.
Afghanistan entered the series with momentum from their 2-1 victory over South Africa in September, while Bangladesh had not played an ODI in eight months. This match also marked Bangladesh’s first ODI in Sharjah in 29 years.
