International cricket returns to Bangladesh after a while as the hosts will host West Indies in 6 white-ball games. We start with the all-important ODI series in Mirpur, Dhaka from 18th October onwards, before the series moves to Chattogram for the T20I series. But the focus will be on ODIs as these two teams are really struggling in the ODI format. Bangladesh are placed in 10th place in the rankings while West Indies are just above them on 9th. Important points with automatic World Cup 2027 qualification in mind up for grabs.
Bangladesh under Mehidy Hasan Miraz will hope they come back to winning ways after they were badly beaten by Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. But coming back to home, and playing on turners could suit Bangladesh as they will be desperate for a win. They need to win maybe all the three games to move upwards in the table. West Indies under Shai Hope are above them on 9th place and will want to win this series as they are coming off a 2-1 series win against Pakistan in the last ODI series that they played in the Caribbean. With Zimbabwe being the host nation, they will qualify for the World Cup 2027, meaning one of these two teams will play the Qualifier next year.
The stage is set for an interesting battle in what could be slow and low conditions in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Overview
Bangladesh and the West Indies will face each other in the first ODI of the three-match series in Mirpur. Bangladesh are coming off a 0-3 ODI series defeat against Afghanistan, while West Indies recently lose to India by a 0-2 margin albeit in Test cricket. So, both teams will eye a comeback with a win in this game.
Bangladesh have been through a miserable run of form in the ODIs as they have lost four out of their last five games, with only a solitary win. They are coming off a 0-3 ODI series defeat against Afghanistan in the recently concluded three-match contest. In the previous ODI, which was also the third ODI of the series against Afghanistan, Bangladesh lost by a massive margin of 200 runs. So, they will target beating West Indies and end their losing streak in the ODIs after a long time.
On the other hand, the West Indies have also been through a similar kind of form, with three defeats and two wins in their five ODIs. However, they had a good ODI series against Pakistan in August, winning the three-match contest by a 2-1 margin including two successive wins in the second and third ODI. So, they will aim to win this game and continue their winning run in the ODI format after the most recent Test defeat against India.
So, the stage is set for a riveting battle in the ODI format and whoever plays better will win. Both teams will believe they have a chance to win in this battle of equals as both unpredictable teams are set to clash against each other. Let us wait and see who comes out on top.
Head-To-Head
Bangladesh and West Indies have faced each other in 47 ODIs so far. West Indies have the better of Bangladesh as they have won 24 off those clashes. Bangladesh have won 21 off those clashes while two games have ended as a no result due to rain. In Bangladesh, both teams have played 20 ODIs against each other with West Indies winning 10 off those fixtures while Bangladesh have won 9. One of the games have ended as a No Result.
We have to wait and see how this series unfolds and which team gets the bragging rights at the end of it all.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka is expected to produce a dry surface with a hint of grip expected for the spinners later. We are expecting a low scoring game with both sets of batters struggling. The batters of both sides need to apply themselves to get runs on the board. A score of 230-240 could be match-winning. Team winning the toss may chase with dew expected to take effect.
The weather in Mirpur, Dhaka is expected to be humid on Saturday without any rain threat, but dew might come into the picture as the game progresses in the second innings. Chasing like we mentioned could be the way to go for the captain winning the toss as spinners may get more purchase during day time.
Predicted/Probable XI of both sides
Here, we predict the playing XI of both sides.
Bangladesh Probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Nurul Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Rishad Hossain, Saif Hassan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
West Indies Probable XI: Brandon King, Ackeem Auguste, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c&wk), Amir Jangoo, Sherfane Rutherford, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Jediah Blades.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Saif Hassan: Saif Hassan has been the only one who has been in some sort of form in the ODIs against Afghanistan. He is explosive at the top of the order and can take wickets when needed as he is a handy option to have. He was terrific in the T20Is and then carried that on ODIs. He will hope to do well and also will pray he gets support from the others. It cannot be a one man army. But he has to do the job for his side.
Taskin Ahmed: Bangladesh’s premier pacer Taskin Ahmed’s workload is being managed a lot. But in the games he has played, he has proved to be a key performer for Bangladesh. He can strike with the new ball and then come back in the middle overs and death overs as well. But his fitness will be put to test as he has had issues with that. It’s one thing bowling 4 overs and quite another bowling 10. Bangladesh will be hoping he bowls his full quota without any trouble more often than not in order to do well in this series.
Shai Hope: The West Indies captain is the backbone of this team. As the old saying goes, if you need Hope, call in Shai Hope. West Indies’ most consistent performer and currently their best batter in the XI, Hope will don the gloves too or is expected to do so. He can score big hundreds and in the recently concluded ODI against Pakistan, Hope scored a masterful ton that helped West Indies post a mammoth score. He will hope to do well in these challenging conditions as things won’t be straightforward. But he has the game to play spin as well.
Jayden Seales: Jayden Seales has also become a key bowler for West Indies in ODIs. He will be expected to strike with the new ball to derail Bangladesh. Remember, Seales was the one who broke Pakistan apart when he ran through the top order to dismiss Pakistan for 92 as he picked up a 6-wicket haul. He will be key and will expect to do well in these conditions and use his variations as an when required.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match
It’s tough to predict a winner when two unpredictable teams are facing against each other. It is a kind of battle of equals. Bangladesh will have home advantage, but West Indies have current form and ODI series win against Pakistan to boast at. We should be in for a cracking game. But we reckon based on current form, we are giving West Indies a slight edge, but Bangladesh through their spinners can surprise West Indies.
The stage is set for the battle on 18th October, 2025 at 1 PM IST at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. Let’s see how the epic battle unfolds.