Bangladesh in Danger of Missing Direct Qualification for 2027 ODI World Cup After Series Loss to Afghanistan
Bangladesh’s ODI struggles continue as they lost the ongoing three-match series to Afghanistan, going down in the first two matches. The heavy defeats have extended their poor run to 10 losses in their last 11 ODIs, raising serious questions about the team’s future and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s leadership.
The Tigers’ poor form has also triggered concerns about their direct qualification for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, with fans and experts beginning to question whether Bangladesh could face the embarrassment of playing in the World Cup Qualifier tournament.
South Africa and Zimbabwe to qualify as hosts; ICC rankings to decide remaining spots
The Cricket World Cup 2027, jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, will feature 14 teams. Out of these, South Africa and Zimbabwe will qualify automatically as hosts. The remaining eight teams will earn direct entry based on the ICC ODI team rankings, while four teams will qualify through the World Cup Qualifier.
Given that South Africa are almost certain to finish inside the top eight, the team ranked ninth will also qualify directly. This makes the race between Bangladesh and West Indies extremely critical.
Current ICC ODI rankings scenario
As of now, Bangladesh are 10th in the ICC ODI team rankings, with 2549 points and a rating of 75, while West Indies are in ninth place with 2814 points and a rating of 80.
This five-point difference could decide who secures the final automatic qualification berth for the 2027 World Cup.
| Qualification Type | Teams Qualified / In Contention | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hosts (Automatic) | South Africa, Zimbabwe | Namibia will host matches but not qualify automatically |
| Direct Qualification (Rankings) | Top 8 teams excluding SA and ZIM | 9th team qualifies if SA are in top 8 |
| Qualifier Tournament | Remaining teams | 4 spots up for grabs |
Bangladesh’s crucial upcoming fixtures
The cut-off date to determine the top nine teams is March 31, 2027, leaving Bangladesh with 26 ODIs to turn their campaign around. Among these are three postponed ODIs against India and several home series where they’ll have a chance to climb the rankings.
The most significant of these will be their home series against West Indies, starting October 18, 2025. This series could determine who clinches the ninth spot in the rankings.
If Bangladesh manage to whitewash the West Indies, they could jump to ninth. However, even a single loss could keep them stuck at 10th position, making it almost impossible to qualify directly.
Bangladesh’s road ahead
For Bangladesh, this is a make-or-break period. The team has the talent and depth to bounce back, but inconsistent batting, ineffective middle overs, and poor death bowling have hurt them repeatedly.
With captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz under growing pressure and senior players like Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim nearing the twilight of their careers, Bangladesh need to rediscover their identity in ODIs quickly.
If they fail to do so, the Tigers could find themselves battling it out in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers — something that would be a massive setback for a team that reached the knockout stages in 2015 and 2019.
