Bangladesh and Pakistan meet in the second ODI of the ongoing series at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Friday, March 13. Pakistan were knocked out of the Super 8 stage of the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Now, they will aim to get over their disappointment and make the Bangladeshis pay. Yet, it will not be an easy task since the home team have trained and prepared well for this series.
In the batting department, Bangladesh will rely on Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, and Najmul Hossain Shanto to set them up on a good platform. The visiting side have quite a young side except Salman Ali Agha to prop their score up with the bat in hand. Mohammad Rizwan is another experienced hand, while the likes of Hussain Talat and Shamyl Hussain will be keen on making a mark. Most important for Pakistan will be to get used to the sultry conditions in Bangladesh and adapt to these challenging pitches.
Bangladesh’s bowling department will be helmed by all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The man can bowl consistent off-breaks at a decent pace. Fellow spinner Rishad Hossain can also be used as a trump card. However, it is the likes of Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed who will add pace to their attack. Pakistan, on the other hand, have Shaheen Afridi, who will be smarting under his team’s poor showing in the T20 World Cup, and alongside Haris Rauf, keen to recover quickly.
Predicted Teams
BAN: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Rishad Hossain, Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
PAK: Abdul Samad, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shamyl Hussain, Salman Agha, Saad Masood, Hussain Talat, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Key Players
Najmul Hossain Shanto (BAN): Top-order batter Najmul Hossain Shanto is among the best batting prospects that Bangladesh have. The southpaw is renowned for using his feet well against spinners, and can also bring the sweep shot out. Shanto can drive well too, and the Pakistani bowlers will have to be cautious against pitching the ball up to him. Most importantly, Shanto is a good fit in the 50-over format since he can rotate the strike well and control the tempo of his team’s innings.
Haris Rauf (PAK): Seamer Haris Rauf is among the very few experienced bowlers in the Pakistani setup who know what it takes to succeed in these conditions. Rauf, albeit known for his pace, can also vary it well and lure the Bangladeshi batters into playing false strokes. He is also a good option at the death since he can use his slower deliveries to bring batters out of their comfort zones. Rauf can also hit the deck hard and get some movement.
Match Prediction
Bangladesh, playing on conditions which they know a lot about, should be able to pick up a victory here. They have the right mix of youth and experience in their squad, and are also fresh since they did not participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Hence, they will be able to offer their best selves here and overtake Pakistan. The visitors, despite having good batters on their side, may not be able to adapt to these slow pitches.
