Asia Cup 2025: Top 3 player battles to watch out for in match 9

Bangladesh and Afghanistan will clash in the 9th match of the Asia Cup 2025 tournament on September 16, 2025, with the match to be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

Bangladesh have won against Hong Kong and lost to Sri Lanka so far. Bangladesh have to win this game because losing could make it more difficult for them to advance to the next round. 

Afghanistan defeated Hong Kong by 94 runs in their lone Asia Cup 2025 match. Afghanistan are a serious possibility to advance from Group B to the second round; however, they must defeat Bangladesh, who would be feeling low after losing to Sri Lanka.

Here are the three player battles to watch out for in match 9 of Asia Cup 2025:

1. Rashid Khan vs Litton Das

Bangladesh captain Litton Das is the most in-form batter of his team. He has shouldered the responsibilities of leading the young batters and has done well. Das has scored 2496 runs at a strike rate of 126.95 in 111 T20Is, including 15 half-centuries with a best score of 83. He has scored three fifties in the last five T20Is for Bangladesh.

Rashid Khan is arguably the best T20 bowler in the world. He is the leading T20I wicket-taker for Afghanistan with 169 wickets in 100 T20Is at an economy of 6.06 and best figures of 5/3. He excels in rushing the batter into playing his shots thanks to his fastish leg-spin and well-disguised googly.

2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Mustafizur Rahman

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored 1,789 runs at a strike rate of 132.81 in 72 T20Is, including 10 fifties and one century for Afghanistan. Gurbaz loves going after the bowlers in powerplay overs and often perishes in his mission of scoring quick runs for his team. He has good technique to counter threats from both spinners and speedsters.

Bangladesh would like to use Mustafizur Rahman to counter Gurbaz. Rahman has 142 wickets at an economy of 7.29 in 114 T20Is, with best bowling figures of 6/10. Since Mustafizur makes good use of the surface, he is perhaps one of the finest bowlers to exploit the conditions in the UAE. Heis also experienced enough to recover if the batter goes after him to put him under pressure.

3. Noor Ahmad vs Towhid Hridoy

Noor Ahmad has 13 wickets in 18 T20Is at an economy of 6.29, with best bowling figures of 4/10. He bowls at good speed puts batters in a conundrum of whether to attack or defend. Noor is quite young in his T20I career but has done well in the T20 league circuit. He is often used to keep batters quiet in middle overs.

Towhid Hridoy has scored 958 runs at a strike rate of 122.36 in 48 T20Is, including three fifties and a best score of 63*. Hridoy is the leader of the new age of Bangladesh batters, who adapted to modern-day T20 batting. Hridoy often plays anchor roles but has the penchant to keep the scorecard moving with cuts and pulls.

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

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