“Another 40–50 runs could’ve changed the game,” says Hridoy

Despite a spirited effort with the bat, Bangladesh fell to a 5-wicket defeat against Afghanistan in the opening ODI of the three-match series. Towhid Hridoy’s composed fifty kept the hosts in the contest, but it wasn’t enough to steer his side to victory as the Tigers began the series on a losing note.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, the young batter opened up about his performance and the team’s overall display. “I can’t really talk about what happened last year,” Hridoy said. “But as players, our goal is always to perform well in every game. We go out there with the intention of giving our best and winning for Bangladesh.”

Hridoy pointed to batting failures as the main reason behind the loss. “I felt if we could have added 40–50 more runs on the board, the scenario could’ve been different. The wicket wasn’t easy for batting, and their bowlers did really well, getting good assistance from the pitch,” he explained.

Expressing disappointment with the team’s batting display, he added, “From a batting point of view, we fell short of runs. It’s a 50-over game, but in six of our last ten matches, we couldn’t even bat through the full quota. That’s not a good sign for any side.”

However, Hridoy backed his teammates and dismissed concerns over form. “The players who performed well in the Asia Cup are still in good touch. Sometimes people compare performances across formats, but in reality, everyone’s in a good place. It’s normal that not everyone will perform in every game,” he said.

The right-hander also emphasized the need to bat deep and show resilience. “If one or two of us can carry on till the end, the match situation will change completely. Insha’Allah, we’ll overcome this area in the coming games,” he said confidently.

Looking ahead, Hridoy expressed optimism about turning things around in the series. “We just want to focus on what’s in front of us. There are still two games left, and if we play well, we can definitely bounce back in the series,” he concluded.