1st ODI | Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe 2026 | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 6 July 2026

Bangladesh had this one under control at 66 for 3, riding a 49-run stand between Towhid Hridoy and Nurul Hasan after losing their top order inside five overs. Then Hridoy fell to a rash shot in the 19th over, and seven wickets fell for just 50 more runs. Chasing only 142, Bangladesh were bowled out for 116, handing Zimbabwe a 25-run win and a 1-0 series lead built almost entirely on a batting collapse rather than anything Zimbabwe’s modest total of 141 truly demanded from them. 

A Solid Platform Wasted After 66/3 

The top order never got going. Tanzid Hasan pulled a short ball straight to fine leg for 8, Najmul Hossain Shanto sliced to deep third for 3, and Soumya Sarkar slashed to the same fielding position for another 3, all inside five overs. Bangladesh were 17 for 3 before the innings had a chance to settle. 

Hridoy and Nurul Hasan then rebuilt patiently, adding 49 for the fourth wicket to push the score to 66 without further loss. 

Bangladesh 1st ODI Harare Collapse vs Zimbabwe 

Everything changed in the 19th over. Hridoy flashed at a short, wide delivery and was caught at deep third for 25, and Bangladesh’s middle and lower order fell apart almost immediately behind him. Mosaddek Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz went cheaply, and by the time Nurul Hasan, the day’s top scorer on 31, was given out lbw with no review available, Bangladesh were staring at a target still 43 runs away with only three wickets in hand. 

From 66 for 3, Bangladesh lost their last seven wickets for just 50 runs, a collapse steep enough to turn what had looked like a routine chase into a 25-run defeat.

Nahid Rana Rewrites the Record Books 

While Bangladesh’s batting fell apart, Rana’s bowling in the first innings had already set the tone for the match. His figures of 6 for 21 from 10 overs, including two maidens at an economy of 2.10, are now the best ever recorded by a Bangladesh bowler in one-day international cricket, surpassing the shared mark of 6 for 26 held previously by Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain. 

Rana took five wickets in a row before Richard Ngarava eventually got bat on a full delivery, and the spell marked his third five-wicket haul of the 2026 season alone. Across the year, he now leads all bowlers in ODI cricket with 26 wickets from nine matches at an average of 14.84 

Ngarava’s Bowling and Captaincy Debut 

Ngarava had a hand in both halves of this contest. With the ball, he finished with 3 for 31, removing Soumya Sarkar early and later dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman to seal the win. Evans and Nyamhuri chipped in with three and two wickets respectively as Zimbabwe bowled Bangladesh out without needing a single spinner across the entire chase. 

He had also played a hand in getting Zimbabwe to a defendable total in the first place, scoring 27 in a 63-run ninth-wicket stand that dragged his side from 70 for 8 up to 141, all while leading the side in his first match as ODI captain. 

A Familiar Pattern for Bangladesh 

This kind of collapse is not new territory. Bangladesh lost from 120 for 2 chasing 236 against Afghanistan in Sharjah in November 2024, and slipped from 50 for 3 to 58 all out against India in Mirpur back in 2014. Both times, a solid platform gave way to a rapid procession of wickets against high-quality bowling. 

Bangladesh 1st ODI Harare collapse vs Zimbabwe now sits alongside those two results as another example of a batting unit that builds a platform and then cannot protect it, a pattern that will need addressing quickly with the second match just three days away.                                   

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FAQs

What was the final result of the Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh 1st ODI?

Zimbabwe won the first ODI by 25 runs at Harare Sports Club. Bangladesh were bowled out for 116 while chasing 142, giving Zimbabwe a 1-0 lead in the series. 

How many wickets did Nahid Rana take in the 1st ODI?

Rana took 6 wickets for 21 runs from his 10 overs. Those are now the best-ever figures recorded by a Bangladesh bowler in one-day international history. 

Why did Bangladesh lose after Zimbabwe were bowled out for 141?

Bangladesh collapsed from a solid position of 66 for 3 in the chase. They lost their last seven wickets for just 50 runs, with no spinner even needed to complete the win. 

Who were the top scorers for Bangladesh in the chase?

Nurul Hasan top-scored with 31 runs off 44 balls. Towhid Hridoy was the only other batter to pass 20, making 25 before the collapse began. 

When is the 2nd ODI between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh?

The second ODI is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, 2026. It will again be played at Harare Sports Club in Harare, the same venue that hosted this opening defeat.