In the first One Day International (ODI) match of a three-match series held in Dhaka, New Zealand captain Tom Latham opted to bat first after winning the toss. Bangladesh faced a setback as Mustafizur Rahman was ruled out due to a knee injury sustained during warm-ups, leading to Shoriful Islam's inclusion in the squad. The team operations manager, Nafees Iqbal, confirmed that Mustafizur felt discomfort in his right knee. This change left Bangladesh with a fast-bowling trio of Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, and Shoriful Islam. New Zealand, on the other hand, is fielding a significantly altered lineup, with eight changes since their last ODI against India in January. Latham himself is making a return to the ODI format after a considerable absence, having last played in November 2025 due to the men's A side's commitments in Sri Lanka and the involvement of many players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL).