Bangladesh National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match: New Zealand captain Tom Latham won the toss elected to bat first against Bangladesh in the opening ODI of the New Zealand tour of Bangladesh 2026 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Explaining the decision, Latham said the surface looked dry and expected it to slow down as the day progresses. “It looks a reasonably good surface, slightly dry and being a day game, it could get slower later on. We have got three genuine seamers,” he said at the toss.
Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz admitted he would have preferred to bowl first as well but expressed confidence in his side’s bowling strength. “Yes, I love to bowl first, it's a new wicket. We have a very good bowling attack with two spinners and three fast bowlers. It looks like a good surface,” Miraz said.
Bangladesh enter the contest high on confidence after their recent ODI series win over Pakistan and have retained the same squad. Traditionally dominant at home, the hosts are expected to benefit from Mirpur’s typically slow and low conditions.
New Zealand, meanwhile, are fielding a relatively inexperienced side, with several first-choice players unavailable due to T20 league commitments. Despite that, the visitors will look to adapt quickly and challenge Bangladesh in testing subcontinental conditions.
Playing XIs
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das(w), Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz(c), Rishad Hossain, Afif Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam
New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Tom Latham(w/c), Henry Nicholls, Nick Kelly, Muhammad Abbas, Dean Foxcroft, Josh Clarkson, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Jayden Lennox, William ORourke
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium appears to be better paced than usual, with the ball expected to come nicely onto the bat despite traditionally being on the drier side. The square boundaries measure 58m and 69m respectively, while the straight boundary extends to 79m. The surface looks conducive for batting, and Bangladesh are unlikely to mind chasing on what seems a good wicket, although it could slow down as the match progresses.