The Bangladesh team is set to resume international cricket in April with a two-match Test series against the Zimbabwe national cricket team. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially confirmed the schedule for the upcoming red-ball series against Zimbabwe, which will take place after Eid.
Bangladesh endured a disappointing campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with their final group-stage match against Pakistan being washed out without a ball bowled. They finished second-last in the standings with a superior net run rate (NRR) than hosts Pakistan, who ended in last place.
Bangladesh Cricket Board Announces Test Series Against Zimbabwe
The two-match Test series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will begin on April 20 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Bangladesh will host the second and final Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on April 28.
The last time these teams met in Test cricket was in July 2021, when Bangladesh secured a 220-run victory in Harare. Zimbabwe last played a Test match in Bangladesh in February 2020, where the hosts won convincingly by an innings and 106 runs.
The squads for the upcoming series are yet to be announced. Notably, this series will not be part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
We Decided to Play the Test Series in Chattogram and Sylhet Because… – BCB Official
On Saturday, a Bangladesh Cricket Board official revealed to Cricbuzz that Dhaka wasn’t considered for the series against Zimbabwe.
The decision was made because the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) in Dhaka is currently hosting matches of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), the country’s premier List A tournament.
“We are regularly having DPL matches in SBNS and so we decided to play the Test series in Chattogram and Sylhet because there you will get wickets that have got enough rest while it wouldn’t have been the case in Dhaka,” said the official.
The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka has been a key venue for Test matches in Bangladesh. However, the last time it did not host a Test was in March 2024, when Sri Lanka toured Bangladesh for a two-match Test series. Both matches were played in Sylhet and Chattogram.
Bangladesh Secured Their First-Ever Test Victory Against Zimbabwe
Bangladesh secured their first-ever Test victory, defeating Zimbabwe by 226 runs in Chittagong on January 10, 2005. This historic win came in their 35th Test match, more than four years after gaining Test status in 2000.
The first Test of the series was played at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong, where Bangladesh posted 488 runs in the first innings, with key contributions from Habibul Bashar (94), Rajin Saleh (89), and Mohammad Rafique (69).
Zimbabwe replied with 312 runs, giving Bangladesh a 176-run first-innings lead. In the second innings, Bangladesh declared at 204/9, setting a target of 381 runs for Zimbabwe. The visitors were then bowled out for 154, as Bangladesh sealed a 226-run victory.
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