Tigers Facing Trouble as Both Openers Depart Early
Bangladesh faced a challenging start in the first ODI against West Indies on October 18, 2025. After losing the toss, they were sent to bat first at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. The team’s openers, Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarkar, both departed quickly, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 8-2 within three overs.
Tigers Facing Trouble as Both Openers Depart Early
Saif Hassan was the first to be dismissed, bowled out by pacer Romario Shephard for just three runs. The situation worsened when Soumya Sarkar followed soon after, caught by Roston Chase while facing Jayden Seales, contributing only four runs to the total. This marked Bangladesh’s sixth opening pair this year, which struggled to secure runs in their initial outing.
Bangladesh’s New Faces and Strategy
In this match, Mahidul Islam Ankon made his ODI debut, stepping into the middle-order to fortify a lineup that had previously faltered against Afghanistan. Ankon replaced Shamim Hossain in the batting order and aimed to add stability. Meanwhile, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Tawhid Hridoy were tasked with repairing the innings after the early dismissals.
Team Line-ups
Here’s a look at the playing elevens for both teams:
| Bangladesh XI | West Indies XI |
|---|---|
| Soumya Sarkar | Brandon King |
| Saif Hassan | Alick Athanaze |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | Keacy Carty |
| Tawhid Hridoy | Shai Hope (c & wk) |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c) | Sherfane Rutherford |
| Mahidul Islam Ankon | Justin Greaves |
| Nurul Hasan (wk) | Roston Chase |
| Rishad Hossain | Romario Shepherd |
| Taskin Ahmed | Gudakesh Motie |
| Tanvir Islam | Khary Pierre |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Jayden Seales |
As the match progressed, Bangladesh’s batting line-up faced the crucial task of recovery after the disheartening loss of their openers. With three spin bowling options at their disposal, the Tigers aimed for a better performance against a competitive West Indies side led by Shai Hope.
