After leaving behind their golden era, Bangladesh’s cricket team is now struggling in the ODI format. Since the last ODI World Cup, their performance in this format has been underwhelming, leaving their direct qualification for the next World Cup in uncertainty.

For the 2027 ODI World Cup, set to be held across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, Bangladesh must finish among the top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings by 31 March next year to secure direct entry. To achieve this, the team has only two series left—a narrow window for redemption.

The first of these crucial series begins on Wednesday at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, where Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in the opening match of a three-game ODI series. The match will start at 4:00 pm local time (6:00 pm Bangladesh time).

As hosts, South Africa and Zimbabwe will automatically qualify for the 2027 World Cup. With South Africa currently among the top eight, Bangladesh’s target is clear: stay among the top nine in the rankings to remain in contention.

Heading into the series, Bangladesh sits 10th with 77 ranking points. A clean sweep against Afghanistan would earn the Mehedi Hasan Miraz-led team five points. This would move Bangladesh to ninth place with 82 points, overtaking West Indies (80 points). Winning the second series against the Caribbean team at home later this month could further consolidate their position.

However, a single loss to Afghanistan would leave Bangladesh with 79 points, keeping them at 10th. Any additional defeats against the West Indies would see their points tally drop further. To remain at least in the top nine by 31 March, Bangladesh must produce positive results in both series.

Recent form in ODIs, however, offers little comfort. Since the 2023 World Cup, Bangladesh has played 17 ODIs, winning only 12.

Batting remains a major concern. In 16 full-length ODIs after the World Cup, Bangladesh has failed to reach 250 in ten matches. Even in the six games where they did cross the 250-mark, they managed to win only twice.

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