Bangladesh National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Timeline: Full Head-to-Head History (1997–2026)

The Bangladesh national cricket team vs Zimbabwe national cricket team timeline spans nearly three decades, 127+ international matches, and some of the most competitive cricket played between two nations who entered the global stage as underdogs. Bangladesh lead the overall head-to-head with 52 ODI wins, 9 Test wins, and 16 T20I wins. Zimbabwe hold 29 ODI wins, 8 Test wins, and 8 T20I wins. In Tests- the format that demands the greatest sustained skill- the gap between these two sides is just one match across 20 Tests since 2001. That single number tells you more about this rivalry than any highlight reel. This is the complete, chronological record: every major series, every turning point, every verified record, and every phase of a rivalry that continues to produce competitive cricket in 2026.

 When Did Bangladesh and Zimbabwe First Play Cricket?

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe first met on October 29, 1997, in an ODI in Harare during the President’s Cup tri-nation series in Kenya. Zimbabwe won that match comfortably. At the time, Bangladesh had not yet received Full Member status from the ICC and were competing as an Associate nation. That first meeting set the tone for the early phase of this rivalry- Zimbabwe were an established international side, Bangladesh were building the foundations of a cricket program that would later become one of Asia’s most competitive teams. The Bangladesh national cricket team vs zimbabwe national cricket team timeline technically begins in 1997, but the rivalry’s real identity was forged from 2005 onward, when Bangladesh won their first-ever Test match- against Zimbabwe, in Chattogram.

Complete Series-by-Series Timeline (1997–2026)

This section provides a chronological record of every major bilateral and tournament series between the two nations across all formats.

Year-by-Year Series Results

Read More: Netherlands national cricket team vs Nepal national cricket team timeline

Year	Series	Venue	Format	Winner	Result
1997/98	President’s Cup	Kenya	ODI	Zimbabwe	Series
1998/99	Wills International Cup	Bangladesh	ODI	Zimbabwe	Series
2000/01	Meril ICT Series	Zimbabwe	ODI	Zimbabwe	3–0
2001/02	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	Test	Zimbabwe	1–0
2001/02	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	ODI	Zimbabwe	Series
2003/04	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	ODI	Zimbabwe	2–1
2004/05	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	Test	Bangladesh	Historic first Test win
2004/05	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	ODI	Bangladesh	Series
2010/11	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	ODI	Bangladesh	3–1
2011	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	Test	Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe’s return win
2011/12	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	ODI	Bangladesh	Series
2013	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	Test	Drawn	1–1
2013	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	ODI	Bangladesh	3–2
2013	Bangladesh in Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	T20I	Drawn	1–1
2014/15	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	Test	Bangladesh	3–0
2014/15	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	ODI	Bangladesh	Series
2015/16	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	T20I	Drawn	2–2
2018/19	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	Test	Bangladesh	2–1
2018/19	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	ODI	Bangladesh	Series
2019/20	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	T20I	Bangladesh	2–0
2021	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	ODI	Bangladesh	3–2
2021	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	T20I	Bangladesh	2–1
2022	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	ODI	Zimbabwe	2–1
2022	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	T20I	Bangladesh	2–1
Oct 2022	ICC T20 World Cup	Australia	T20I	Bangladesh	Won by 3 runs
2024	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	T20I	Bangladesh	4–1
2025	Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh	Bangladesh	Test	Drawn	1–1
2026	Bangladesh Tour of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	ODI	Ongoing	—

Head-to-Head Records by Format

A quick-reference breakdown of the complete Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe head-to-head record across all international formats.

Format-Wise Record Summary

Format	Total Matches	Bangladesh Wins	Zimbabwe Wins	Draw / NR
Tests	20	9	8	3
ODIs	83	52	29	2
T20Is	24	16	8	0

Bangladesh dominate in ODIs with 52 wins from 83 matches- a win percentage above 62%. In T20Is, they hold a 2:1 winning ratio. The Test record, however, tells a different story: 9 wins for Bangladesh against 8 for Zimbabwe in 20 Tests across 24 years. This near-parity in the longest format is one of the most underreported facts about this rivalry.

Head-to-Head Record by Era

The Bangladesh national cricket team vs zimbabwe national cricket team timeline breaks into four distinct phases, each reflecting the development arc of both nations.

Era-by-Era Breakdown

Era	Bangladesh Wins	Zimbabwe Wins	Draw/NR	Phase Summary
1997–2004	2	14	2	Zimbabwe clearly dominant
2005–2011	6	4	2	Bangladesh rising, Zimbabwe suspended
2012–2020	28	10	1	Bangladesh ODI dominance peaks
2021–2025	14	9	0	Zimbabwe competitive across all formats

Since 2021, Zimbabwe have won 9 out of 23 matches– a significantly higher win rate compared to the 2012–2020 period. The Sikandar Raza era has coincided with Zimbabwe’s sharpest improvement, particularly in ODIs and T20Is.

Phase 1: Zimbabwe’s Era of Dominance (1997–2004)

Before Bangladesh even had Full Member ICC status, Zimbabwe were already an established cricketing nation competing against England, South Africa, and India. The early Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe ODI contests were not close.

Key Context

Zimbabwe held an experienced, seasoned squad during this period. Players such as Andy Flower, Heath Streak, and Grant Flower– all internationals with significant Test pedigree- regularly featured against Bangladesh. In the 2001/02 Test series played in Bangladesh, Andy Flower scored 142 runs and Craig Wishart contributed 208 as Zimbabwe won the series 1–0. The 2003/04 ODI series in Harare ended 2–1 to Zimbabwe, but the margin showed Bangladesh were improving. By 2004, they had developed enough competitive depth to challenge- and within one year, they would record the most important result in their Test history.

Phase 2: Bangladesh’s First Test Win- January 2005

January 2005 in Chattogram changed everything about how Bangladesh approached international cricket.

The Historic Match

Read More: Vidarbha cricket team vs Kerala cricket team timeline

Bangladesh posted 488 and 204/9 declared. Zimbabwe replied with 312 and then collapsed to 154. Bangladesh won by 226 runs- their first-ever Test match victory. Mohammad Ashraful scored a century. Enamul Haque Jr. took 12 wickets across the match, one of the finest bowling performances in Bangladesh’s Test history. Between 2004 and 2005, several senior Zimbabwe players including Heath Streak and experienced internationals exited the national squad amid administrative and financial difficulties within Zimbabwe Cricket. The 2005 touring side had significantly less experience than Zimbabwe squads of previous years. That context is part of the historical record- Bangladesh earned the win on the field, but the circumstances around Zimbabwe’s squad strength at that time explain the timing.

Phase 3: Zimbabwe’s Suspension and Return (2005–2011)

Zimbabwe suspended themselves from Test cricket in January 2005– the same month Bangladesh recorded that historic win. They did not return to Test cricket until August 2011, a six-year absence that heavily disrupted the development of an entire generation of Zimbabwe cricketers.

Zimbabwe’s Return: August 2011

When Zimbabwe returned to Tests, they beat Bangladesh by 130 runs in Harare. Brendan Taylor scored 105. Brian Vitori took a five-wicket haul. A returning side playing at home with a point to prove produced one of their best collective performances of the 2010s. Meanwhile, during those six absent years, Bangladesh had developed world-class players in Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, and Mushfiqur Rahim- a generation that would go on to define Bangladesh cricket for the next 15 years.

Phase 4: Bangladesh’s Peak ODI Dominance (2012–2020)

Between 2012 and 2020, Bangladesh won 28 out of 39 matches across all formats– the most dominant stretch in the entire bangladesh national cricket team vs zimbabwe national cricket team timeline.

The Record-Breaking Series of March 2020

In a remarkable five-day window in Sylhet in March 2020:

• Tamim Iqbal scored 158 off 136 balls against Zimbabwe in the 2nd ODI
• Liton Das scored 176 off 143 balls in the 3rd ODI- the highest individual ODI score ever by a Bangladeshi batter

Liton’s 176 is also the third-highest individual score ever hit against Zimbabwe in ODI cricket history, behind only Chris Gayle’s 215 and Fakhar Zaman’s 210. Both performances came in the same series, in the same venue, against the same opposition- a measure of how one-sided the rivalry had become at its peak. The 2014/15 home Test series was Bangladesh’s most dominant Test result against Zimbabwe- a 3–0 clean sweep with Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Taijul Islam bowling Zimbabwe out repeatedly on turning Dhaka and Chattogram pitches.

Phase 5: Zimbabwe’s Resurgence (2022–2026)

The 2022–2026 period has produced the most competitive cricket in the entire history of this bilateral rivalry. Sikandar Raza’s emergence as a match-winner has transformed Zimbabwe’s ability to challenge Bangladesh, particularly in ODIs and T20Is.

The 2022 ODI Series: Raza’s Masterclass

In August 2022 in Harare, Raza scored an unbeaten 117 off 127 balls to chase down 290 with 15 balls to spare. Zimbabwe won the ODI series 2–1– their first ODI series win against Bangladesh since 2013. Raza had also contributed 60 in the first match. It was a reminder that in Harare conditions, Zimbabwe’s home advantage remains a real factor.

ICC T20 World Cup 2022: 3 Runs in Brisbane

On October 30, 2022, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 3 runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Brisbane. Bangladesh scored 150/7. Zimbabwe replied with 147/8 in one of the tightest group-stage finishes of the tournament. At the international tournament level, this rivalry consistently produces high-pressure cricket.

April 2025: The Sylhet Test Shock

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets in the 1st Test at Sylhet on April 23, 2025- their first Test win in Bangladesh. Bangladesh posted 191 and 255. Zimbabwe chased 174 with 3 wickets in hand. Blessing Muzarabani took 6/72 in Bangladesh’s second innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took 10 wickets across the match for Bangladesh and still finished on the losing side- a clear indication of how well Zimbabwe batted under pressure. Bangladesh responded immediately. In the 2nd Test at Chattogram, they won by an innings and 106 runs. Taijul Islam took 6/60. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took another five-wicket haul. Shadman Islam scored 120. The series ended 1–1.

Verified Player Records

One of the most-searched aspects of the Bangladesh national cricket team vs zimbabwe national cricket team timeline is individual performance data. Below are verified records sourced from and match scorecards.

Most ODI Wickets (Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe)

Player	Team	ODI Wickets
Shakib Al Hasan	Bangladesh	48
Mashrafe Mortaza	Bangladesh	45
Abdur Razzak	Bangladesh	32

Most Appearances in ODIs

Player	Team	ODI Matches
Elton Chigumbura	Zimbabwe	55
Mushfiqur Rahim	Bangladesh	51
Hamilton Masakadza	Zimbabwe	52
Tamim Iqbal	Bangladesh	40+

Top Individual Batting Performances (ODIs)

Player	Score	Balls	Venue	Year
Liton Das (BAN)	176	143	Sylhet	2020
Tamim Iqbal (BAN)	158	136	Sylhet	2020
Tamim Iqbal (BAN)	154	138	Bulawayo	2009
Imrul Kayes (BAN)	144	140	Mirpur	2018
Sean Williams (ZIM)	129	—	Sylhet	2018
Sikandar Raza (ZIM)	117*	127	Harare	2022

Top Individual Bowling Performances (Tests)

Player	Figures	Year	Context
Enamul Haque Jr. (BAN)	12 wickets (match)	2005	Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (BAN)	10 wickets (match)	2025	Despite Zimbabwe winning the Test
Blessing Muzarabani (ZIM)	6/72	2025	Sylhet upset
Taijul Islam (BAN)	6/60	2025	Chattogram response win

Head-to-Head by Venue

Venue	Country	Bangladesh Wins	Zimbabwe Wins	Notes
Mirpur (Sher-e-Bangla)	Bangladesh	Dominant	Rare	BAN spin advantage at home
Sylhet	Bangladesh	Majority	1 (2025 Test)	ZIM’s first Test win in BAN
Chattogram	Bangladesh	Dominant	Rare	Historic 2005 win venue
Harare	Zimbabwe	Split	ZIM advantage	ZIM home strength significant
Bulawayo	Zimbabwe	BAN stronger recently	Split	BAN improving away record

Statistical Trends Since 2021

Format	Matches	Bangladesh Wins	Zimbabwe Wins
Tests	3	1	1 (1 drawn)
ODIs	11	7	4
T20Is	9	5	4

Since 2021, the T20I gap has narrowed to near 5–4 in recent exchanges, Tests remain level, and Zimbabwe’s 2022 ODI series win broke a multi-year streak of Bangladesh dominance in 50-over cricket.

Most Memorable Matches in This Rivalry

1. January 2005, Chattogram– Bangladesh 488 & 204/9d beat Zimbabwe 312 & 154. Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win by 226 runs. Enamul Haque Jr. took 12 wickets
2. August 2011, Harare– Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 130 runs on Test return. Brendan Taylor 105, Vitori five-for
3. March 2020, Sylhet– Liton Das 176 and Tamim Iqbal 158 in the same series. Bangladesh ODI batting records broken
4. August 2022, Harare– Zimbabwe win ODI series 2–1. Raza 117 not out chasing 290
5. October 2022, Brisbane– Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by just 3 runs in the T20 World Cup
6. April 2025, Sylhet– Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh in a Test on Bangladeshi soil. Muzarabani 6/72

FAQs: