Bangladesh and the Netherlands will play against each other on October 28. This will be the 28th match in the tournament and will take place at the famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This will also be the first match at Eden Gardens during this World Cup. The BAN vs. NL match will start at 2:30 pm on Saturday.
Bangladesh vs. Netherlands ODI in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023: Match Preview
Performance of Bangladesh in the 2023 ODI World Cup So Far
Bangladesh won their first World Cup match against Afghanistan but then faced four consecutive losses to England, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. Their chances of reaching the semi-finals are almost non-existent now, and even a victory against the Netherlands might not make much of a difference.
The Bangladeshi cricket team has a history of performing exceptionally well against strong opponents in major tournaments. However, they have struggled to showcase that potential when playing in India. With key players like Shakib Al Hasan in and out of the lineup, the team has faced difficulties in adapting to the key player`s absence.
Shakib Al Hasan recently returned to the team for the match against South Africa but didn`t perform well with the bat or ball. To have a chance of defeating the Netherlands, Bangladesh is relying on a strong performance from their experienced all-rounder, Shakib. As the team`s captain, he has the responsibility of leading the side, taking wickets, and scoring runs, making his contribution vital to their success.
Following a heavy defeat against South Africa in Mumbai, the Bangladesh cricket team arrived at Kolkata without their captain, Shakib-Al Hasan, on Wednesday. It was revealed that Shakib had gone directly to Mirpur for a brief training session with his mentor, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, focusing primarily on improving his batting skills.
In a different aspect of their batting lineup, the experienced Mahmudullah has stood out as Bangladesh`s top run-scorer in this tournament. His recent century against South Africa should boost his confidence. While the Tigers have three bowlers who have taken six wickets each in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, there isn`t a standout performer among them. This presents an opportunity for spinner Mehidy Hasan to step up and deliver a strong performance, especially in conditions that favor spin bowling.
Netherlands Team’s Performance in the Ongoing ICC World Cup So Far
On the other hand, the Netherlands suffered losses to Pakistan and New Zealand before surprising everyone with a win against South Africa. That victory held promise for their future matches, but the Dutch team has struggled since then, facing defeats against Sri Lanka and Australia. Their most recent loss, against Australia, was particularly disheartening, with a record-breaking margin of 309 runs.
In the current Cricket World Cup, all-rounder Colin Ackermann and captain Scott Edwards have been the top run-scorers for the Netherlands. Edwards, with an average of over 45 in the tournament, has been a consistent performer. However, he clearly needs stronger support from several other Dutch batsmen who have struggled, with averages below 20.
On the bowling front, seamer Bas de Leede has been the leading wicket-taker for the team in this tournament, with nine wickets in five matches. He`ll be eager to bounce back after a tough outing where he conceded the most runs in a 10-over spell in the history of ODI cricket during the match against Australia.
BAN vs. NL Head to Head in ODI
In ODI matches, Bangladesh and the Netherlands have met twice. Out of these two games, Bangladesh won one, and the Netherlands emerged victorious in one match as well.
Predicted XI for Bangladesh
Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud.
Predicted XI for the Netherlands
Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (c)/(wk), Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.
Key Bangladeshi Players to Watch
Mahmudullah
During his innings against South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, Mahmudullah Riyad from Bangladesh became the sixth-oldest batsman, at the age of 37 years and 262 days, to score a century in the ODI World Cup. So far, he is the top scorer for Bangladesh in this World Cup and he has been consistent. He scored 198 runs in three innings.
Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfique could not do well in the last match against South Africa, and he has scored only 8 runs. Apart from this, he scored 51, 66, and 38 runs in the second to fourth matches. So, Mushfiqur has a great chance that he will uplift his performance in the next match at Eden.
Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib is yet to be sparked in this tournament. As he is coming back from an injury and working on his batting in Bangladesh, we can expect a good performance on Saturday. Shakib`s only notable performance in this World Cup was 40 runs against New Zealand.
Key Dutch Players to Watch
Colin Ackermann
Colin Ackermann holds the top spot as the Netherlands` highest run-scorer, amassing 137 runs at a strike rate of 85.09. But he only scored 10 runs in the last match against South Africa, and his standout performance came against New Zealand, where he scored 69 runs from 98 balls, marking his best performance in the tournament so far.
Bas de Leede
Bas de Leede contributed to the Netherlands through ball and bat. In five matches, he scored 97 runs. But his contribution through the ball has been significant. He took 9 wickets so far with 4/62 against Pakistan. So, he might fight with a bat and bowl against Bangladesh.
Final Words
Considering their extensive experience in international cricket, Bangladesh are seen as the favorites to win this match. However, it`s evident that the Netherlands should not be underestimated and cannot be labeled as minnows. Consequently, Bangladesh will need to deliver their top-level cricket to secure a victory over the Dutch in this Kolkata encounter. Simultaneously, if the Dutch team performs up to their potential (just like they did against South Africa), we could witness them emerging victorious against the Tigers.
