New Zealand vs Bangladesh Cricket Timeline: Full History, Head-to-Head Records and 2026 Series Breakdown
The new zealand national cricket team vs bangladesh national cricket team timeline is one of cricket’s most underrated evolution stories. For nearly two decades, New Zealand dominated every format, every venue, and every scorecard. Bangladesh were considered an easy opposition. Then, slowly and deliberately, that changed. They developed a pace attack. They curated pitches. They built match-winners. By 2021, they were winning the T20I series. By 2022, they had won a Test in New Zealand. By April 2026, they had their first ODI series win against New Zealand in 13 years. This is the complete record-timelines, series history, head-to-head stats, player records, highest scores, and everything in between.
Rivalry at a Glance
The fastest way to understand this rivalry is to look at where it started and where it stands today.
| Category | Detail |
| First ODI | 1990 |
| First Test | January 2001, New Zealand |
| First T20I | February 3, 2010, Hamilton |
| Total matches (all formats) | 87 |
| Overall leader | New Zealand (64–18) |
| Bangladesh’s biggest bilateral win | ODI series 2–1 in 2026-first in 13 years |
| Bangladesh’s biggest Test result | First Test win in New Zealand (2021/22) |
New Zealand lead the all-time head-to-head convincingly. But the recent bilateral record tells a different story-Bangladesh have won 3 of their last 5 bilateral series at home across formats.
Complete New Zealand vs Bangladesh Timeline (2001–2026)
Year-by-Year Milestones
This chronological breakdown covers every defining moment in the new zealand national cricket team vs bangladesh national cricket team rivalry from its earliest days to the 2026 series.
| Year | Event | Significance |
| 1990 | First-ever ODI meeting | Rivalry begins |
| 2001 | First Test series-NZ won 2–0 in New Zealand | Bangladesh enter Test cricket |
| 2004/05 | NZ won Test series 2–0 in Bangladesh | NZ dominance on all soils |
| 2007/08 | NZ won all 3 ODIs and both Tests in New Zealand | Bangladesh’s toughest tour |
| Feb 3, 2010 | First T20I-NZ won by 10 wickets, Hamilton | Rivalry spans all three formats |
| 2010/11 | Bangladesh win ODI series 4–0 at home (1 NR) | First-ever bilateral ODI series win vs NZ |
| 2013/14 | Test series drawn 0–0 in Bangladesh | First hint of Bangladesh’s home fortress |
| Sep 1, 2021 | Bangladesh win first-ever T20I vs NZ by 7 wickets | T20I breakthrough |
| Sep 2021 | Bangladesh win T20I home series 3–2 | First T20I series win vs NZ |
| 2021/22 | Bangladesh win a Test in New Zealand, series drawn 1–1 | Historic-first Test win on NZ soil |
| 2023/24 | Test series drawn 1–1 in Bangladesh | NZ no longer safe away |
| April 2026 | Bangladesh win ODI series 2–1 at home | First ODI series win vs NZ in 13 years |
Head-to-Head Records: All Formats (Updated May 2026)
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Overall Format Breakdown
The overall Bangladesh vs New Zealand head-to-head record across all formats shows New Zealand’s historical dominance, but the recent bilateral trend has shifted.
| Format | Matches | NZ Wins | BAN Wins | No Result / Drawn |
| Tests | 19 | 14 | 2 | 3 drawn |
| ODIs | 46 | 34 | 11 | 1 NR |
| T20Is | 22 | 16 | 5 | 1 NR |
| Total | 87 | 64 | 18 | 5 |
New Zealand lead 64–18 across 87 matches. However, Bangladesh hold a positive home bilateral record in T20Is since 2021, and won the 2026 home ODI series-a significant shift in recent cricket.
Full Test Series History
Series-by-Series Record
Every NZ vs Bangladesh Test series result from 2001 to 2024, in chronological order.
| Season | Venue | Matches | Result |
| 2001/02 | New Zealand | 2 | NZ won 2–0 |
| 2004/05 | Bangladesh | 2 | NZ won 2–0 |
| 2007/08 | New Zealand | 2 | NZ won 2–0 |
| 2008/09 | Bangladesh | 2 | NZ won 1–0 (1 drawn) |
| 2009/10 | New Zealand | 1 | NZ won 1–0 |
| 2013/14 | Bangladesh | 2 | Drawn 0–0 |
| 2016/17 | New Zealand | 2 | NZ won 2–0 |
| 2018/19 | New Zealand | 2 | NZ won 2–0 |
| 2021/22 | New Zealand | 2 | Drawn 1–1 |
| 2023/24 | Bangladesh | 2 | Drawn 1–1 |
Bangladesh have never won a bilateral Test series against New Zealand. Their best result remains the 2021/22 drawn series, which included their first-ever Test win on New Zealand soil.
Full ODI Series History (Bilateral Only)
Bilateral ODI Series Results
The following covers only bilateral ODI series between Bangladesh and New Zealand-ICC tournament matches are listed separately.
| Season | Venue | Matches | Result |
| 2004/05 | Bangladesh | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| 2007/08 | New Zealand | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| 2008/09 | Bangladesh | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| 2010/11 | Bangladesh | 5 | BAN won 4–0 (1 NR) |
| 2013 | Bangladesh | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| 2016/17 | New Zealand | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| 2021/22 | New Zealand | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| 2023 | New Zealand | 3 | NZ won 2–1 |
| 2026 | Bangladesh | 3 | BAN won 2–1 |
Bangladesh have won only 2 bilateral ODI series against New Zealand-in 2010/11 and 2026, both at home. The 36-year gap between their first ODI meeting (1990) and their second-ever ODI series win (2026) tells the full story of this rivalry.
Full T20I Series History
T20I Series Results: 2010–2026
The Bangladesh vs New Zealand T20I rivalry started with a 10-wicket hammering in Hamilton and has evolved into a genuinely competitive format battle.
| Season | Venue | Matches | Result |
| 2010 | New Zealand | 1 | NZ won 1–0 |
| 2013 | Bangladesh | 1 | NZ won 1–0 |
| 2017 | New Zealand | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| Mar 2021 | New Zealand | 3 | NZ won 3–0 |
| Sep 2021 | Bangladesh | 5 | BAN won 3–2 |
| 2022 | New Zealand | 2 | NZ won 2–0 |
| 2023/24 | New Zealand | 3 | Drawn 1–1 (1 abandoned) |
| 2026 | Bangladesh | 3 | Drawn 1–1 (1 washed out) |
Bangladesh’s only T20I series win against New Zealand came in September 2021-a 3–2 home series win that included bowling New Zealand out for just 60 in the opening match.
ICC Tournament Encounters
NZ vs Bangladesh in World Cups and ICC Events
These matches are played at ICC events-not bilateral series-and are tracked separately from the new zealand national cricket team vs bangladesh national cricket team timeline.
| Tournament | Year | Venue | Result |
| ICC Cricket World Cup | 1999 | England | NZ won |
| ICC Cricket World Cup | 2007 | West Indies | NZ won |
| ICC Cricket World Cup | 2015 | New Zealand | NZ won |
| ICC Cricket World Cup | 2019 | England | NZ won |
| ICC Champions Trophy | 2025 | Rawalpindi | NZ won by 5 wickets |
New Zealand have won every single ICC tournament match against Bangladesh-5 out of 5. In the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy at Rawalpindi, Rachin Ravindra scored 112 off 105 balls as New Zealand chased down Bangladesh’s 236/9 with 23 balls to spare. Bangladesh have yet to defeat New Zealand at a World Cup or ICC event.
2026 New Zealand Tour of Bangladesh: Full Scorecard Breakdown
ODI Series (Bangladesh Won 2–1)
The 2026 bilateral series was the most significant in the new zealand vs Bangladesh cricket timeline since Bangladesh’s historic Test draw in 2021/22.
1st ODI-April 17, Dhaka: New Zealand Won by 26 Runs
| Team | Score | Top Performer |
| New Zealand | 247/8 (50 ov) | Henry Nicholls 68 (83) |
| Bangladesh | 221 (48.3 ov) | Saif Hassan 57 (76) |
Blair Tickner took 3/45. Bangladesh reached the halfway point of the chase in a competitive position but the middle order collapsed under pressure from New Zealand’s disciplined bowling in the final 20 overs.
2nd ODI-April 20, Dhaka: Bangladesh Won by 6 Wickets (87 balls remaining)
| Team | Score | Top Performer |
| New Zealand | 198 (48.4 ov) | Nick Kelly 83 (102) |
| Bangladesh | 199/4 (35.3 ov) | Tanzid Hasan 76 (58) |
Nahid Rana’s 5/32 in 10 overs was the decisive performance-dismissing NZ for 198 despite Kelly’s resistance. Bangladesh chased it with 87 balls remaining. A clinical team performance.
3rd ODI-April 23, Chattogram: Bangladesh Won by 55 Runs
| Team | Score | Top Performer |
| Bangladesh | 265/8 (50 ov) | Shanto 105 (119) |
| New Zealand | 210 (44.5 ov) | Dean Foxcroft 75 (72) |
Mustafizur Rahman’s 5/43 in 9 overs sealed Bangladesh’s series victory. Shanto’s century under pressure was the defining innings of the entire series. Bangladesh won the ODI series 2–1-their first bilateral ODI series win against New Zealand in 13 years.
T20I Series (Drawn 1–1, One Washed Out)
| Match | Date | Venue | Result | Key Performer |
| 1st T20I | April 27 | Chattogram | BAN won by 6 wkts | Tawhid Hridoy 51* (27) |
| 2nd T20I | April 29 | Chattogram | No result (rain) | — |
| 3rd T20I | May 2 | Dhaka | NZ won by 6 wkts (DLS) | Bevon Jacobs 62* (31), Josh Clarkson 3/9 |
The T20I series ended 1–1 with no decider possible after the 2nd match was washed out entirely.
Bangladesh Win % in ODIs vs New Zealand: Statistical Evolution
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How Bangladesh’s ODI Win Rate Has Changed
This is the most important statistical proof of how the Bangladesh vs New Zealand bilateral ODI rivalry has evolved.
| Period | BAN ODI Win % vs NZ | What Changed |
| 2001–2015 | ~8% | Near-total NZ dominance |
| 2016–2020 | ~22% | Bangladesh developing home conditions advantage |
| 2021–2026 | ~45% | Competitive-first ODI series win in 13 years |
Bangladesh went from winning 1 in 12 ODIs to winning nearly 1 in 2 in the current era. The driving force is not batting-it is a bowling attack that now carries express pace (Nahid Rana), cutters (Mustafizur Rahman), and seam movement (Shoriful Islam) alongside traditional spin.
Rivalry Records: Batting
Highest Individual Scores (Tests)
| Score | Player | Team | Year |
| 252 | Tom Latham | New Zealand | — |
| 217 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 2017 (in New Zealand) |
| 176 | Mominul Haque | Bangladesh | — |
Shakib Al Hasan‘s 217 remains the highest Test score by a Bangladeshi batter against New Zealand-scored in New Zealand itself in 2017, making it doubly significant.
Highest Individual Scores (ODIs)
| Score | Player | Team | Year |
| 169 | Soumya Sarkar | Bangladesh | — |
| 120+ | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Multiple occasions |
Most Runs in ODIs (All Time)
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs |
| Ross Taylor | New Zealand | 24 | 892 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 26 | 714 |
| Stephen Fleming | New Zealand | 18 | 621 |
| Tamim Iqbal | Bangladesh | 22 | 543 |
Ross Taylor (892 runs) is the highest run-scorer in this rivalry in ODIs-a record unlikely to be broken given his retirement from international cricket.
Rivalry Records: Bowling
Most Wickets in ODIs (All Time)
| Player | Team | Wickets | Career Best |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bangladesh | 25 | 6/26 |
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 21 | — |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 18 | — |
Most Wickets in T20Is (All Time)
| Player | Team | Wickets |
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 19 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bangladesh | 16 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 12 |
Mustafizur Rahman’s 6/26 is the best bowling figures by any bowler in the ODI history of this rivalry. His 25 ODI wickets against New Zealand make him Bangladesh’s most impactful performer in this head-to-head.
Defining Players in This Rivalry
Bangladesh’s Standout Performers
Mustafizur Rahman is the single most impactful Bangladesh player in this rivalry. 25 ODI wickets at a career-best of 6/26, 16 T20I wickets, and match-winning performances in both the 2021 and 2026 series make him irreplaceable in this contest. Shakib Al Hasan is the only Bangladesh player who features in the top three across all three formats-714 ODI runs, 18 ODI wickets, and 12 T20I wickets. No other cricketer in this rivalry matches that cross-format contribution. Nahid Rana took 5/32 in the 2026 2nd ODI-the most decisive single bowling performance of the series. His emergence as an express pace bowler changed Bangladesh’s bowling identity against New Zealand permanently. Tawhid Hridoy scored 51* off 27 balls in the 2026 1st T20I and has become Bangladesh’s most reliable match-finisher in limited-overs cricket.
New Zealand’s Standout Performers
Ross Taylor (892 ODI runs) is New Zealand’s defining batter in this rivalry-consistent across home and away conditions against Bangladesh for over a decade. Tim Southee leads all bowlers from New Zealand with 19 T20I wickets and 21 ODI wickets against Bangladesh-a sustained record across multiple tours and formats. Rachin Ravindra’s 112 off 105 in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was New Zealand’s best individual performance against Bangladesh in an ICC event.
Key Takeaways
- New Zealand lead 64–18 across 87 matches in all formats, with dominance in Tests (14–2) and ODIs (34–11)
- Bangladesh have never beaten New Zealand in an ICC tournament-0 wins from 5 attempts at World Cups and Champions Trophy
- Bangladesh’s first-ever T20I win against New Zealand came on September 1, 2021, when they bowled NZ out for 60 in Dhaka
- Their first ODI series win against New Zealand came in 2010/11, and their second came 16 years later in 2026
- Shakib Al Hasan’s 217 is the highest Test score by a Bangladeshi batter against New Zealand-scored in New Zealand in 2017
- Mustafizur Rahman (25 ODI wickets, 6/26 best) and Shakib Al Hasan (714 ODI runs + 18 wickets) are Bangladesh’s two most important performers in this rivalry
- The new zealand national cricket team vs bangladesh national cricket team timeline has shifted from one-sided domination to a legitimate bilateral contest at home for Bangladesh
FAQs:
Q1. What is the overall head-to-head record between New Zealand and Bangladesh?
A1. New Zealand lead 64–18 across 87 matches as of May 2026. In Tests: NZ 14, BAN 2 (3 drawn). ODIs: NZ 34, BAN 11 (1 NR). T20Is: NZ 16, BAN 5 (1 NR). New Zealand have historically dominated, though Bangladesh have become competitive in home bilateral cricket since 2021.
Q2. Has Bangladesh ever won a Test series against New Zealand?
A2. No. Bangladesh have never won a bilateral Test series against New Zealand. Their best result came in 2021/22, when they won one Test in New Zealand and drew the two-match series 1–1-their first Test win on New Zealand soil.
Q3. When was the first T20I between Bangladesh and New Zealand?
A3. February 3, 2010, at Hamilton. New Zealand won by 10 wickets. It was the first time the two sides met in the shortest format. Bangladesh did not win a T20I against New Zealand until September 1, 2021, in Dhaka.
Q4. When did Bangladesh first beat New Zealand in a T20I?
A4. September 1, 2021, Mirpur. Bangladesh bowled New Zealand out for 60-their lowest T20I total in this rivalry-and chased it down in 15 overs with 7 wickets in hand. Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan shared the wickets.
Q5. What happened in the 2026 New Zealand tour of Bangladesh?
A5. Bangladesh won the ODI series 2–1-their first bilateral ODI series win against New Zealand in 13 years. Nahid Rana took 5/32 in the 2nd ODI, Shanto scored 105 in the 3rd ODI, and Mustafizur Rahman took 5/43 in the series decider. The T20I series ended 1–1 after rain washed out the 2nd match.
Q6. Has Bangladesh ever beaten New Zealand in a World Cup or ICC event?
A6. No. New Zealand have won all 5 ICC tournament encounters against Bangladesh-including four World Cup matches and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Bangladesh’s inability to win an ICC tournament match against New Zealand remains the biggest gap in their head-to-head record.
Q7. Who has the most ODI wickets in the New Zealand vs Bangladesh rivalry?
A7. Mustafizur Rahman leads with 25 ODI wickets, including a career-best of 6/26-the best bowling figures in the ODI history of this rivalry. Tim Southee leads New Zealand with 21 ODI wickets.
Q8. What is the highest individual score in this rivalry?
A8. In Tests, Tom Latham scored 252 for New Zealand. For Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan scored 217 in New Zealand in 2017-the highest Test score by a Bangladeshi batter in this rivalry. In ODIs, Soumya Sarkar scored 169 for Bangladesh.
Q9. Who has scored the most runs in NZ vs Bangladesh ODIs?
A9. Ross Taylor holds the record with 892 ODI runs across 24 matches against Bangladesh. For Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan leads with 714 ODI runs across 26 matches.
Q10. When did Bangladesh first play a Test match against New Zealand?
A10. January 2001, in New Zealand. Bangladesh had just been granted Test status in 2000. New Zealand won the two-match series 2–0. It was the beginning of a rivalry that would eventually become one of cricket’s most compelling home-advantage stories.
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