Shakib Al Hasan and Rashid Khan set for white ball battle in rain-threatened series

Bangladesh will lock horns with Afghanistan in the first match of the ODI series on Wednesday. The highly anticipated battle within the match will be between Shakib Al Hasan and Rashid Khan.

Shakib and Rashid's return to the playing XI after missing the one-off Test in Dhaka will undoubtedly boost their respective teams, making the series even more captivating.Fans from both teams will argue for their all-rounder's superiority, but the limited sample size in ODIs only reveals that each has dismissed the other twice. Across all formats, Shakib averages 21.25 against Rashid, with a strike rate of 79.43, while Rashid averages 13.5 against Shakib, striking at 77.14.

Bangladesh enters the series with a strong bowling line-up, featuring Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, alongside a potent pace attack led by Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain. Taskin and Ebadot have recently showcased their skills with four-wicket hauls in the one-off Test, while Hasan Mahmud emerged as Bangladesh's leading wicket-taker in the recent ODI series against Ireland.

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In terms of batting, Bangladesh boasts a settled line-up. Tamim Iqbal, Litton Das, and Najmul Hossain Shanto form a reliable top-order, supported by experienced campaigners Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, as well as promising youngster Towhid Hridoy. Afif Hossain and Mohammad Naim provide additional batting depth from the reserves.

Afghanistan suffered a 2-1 defeat against Sri Lanka away from home in their last ODI appearance in June. Moreover, they are coming on the back of a thrashing defeat in the one-off Test against Bangladesh in June and will look to make a strong comeback in the ODIs.

Star all-rounder Rashid Khan has returned to the squad for the ODI series after missing out on the one-off Test last month with an injury. 19-year-old Izharulhaq Naveed has got his maiden ODI call-up as well and will be the player to watch out for in this series. The visitors will be going in with a full-strength squad as they look to build the right combination ahead of the forthcoming Asia Cup and the World Cup.

However, there is a looming threat of rain and thunderstorms throughout the white-ball series in Chattogram, which is expected during the monsoon season in Bangladesh. The last time international cricket was played in Chattogram in July was eight years ago.

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