Dhaka: Bangladesh fast bowler Syed Khaled Ahmed believes that they are capable of playing in the final of the Asia Cup even though they failed to break the group phase in the last edition in 2022 that was held in T20 format. This year, the Asia Cup will return to the T20 format from the traditional 50-over format, with the T20 World Cup on the horizon. This will mark the third time the tournament will be held in T20 format, having previously been conducted this way in 2016 and 2022.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, while at home in 2016, Bangladesh became runners-up, but they couldn’t reach the Super 4 in 2022, a tournament hosted by the UAE. Khaled expressed confidence in their prospects, stating, “We are a team that can play in the Asia Cup final this time. If we can win two or three matches from the group we are in, we will be able to go to the final.” Despite not being a T20 regular for Bangladesh, Khaled’s confidence is buoyed by his team’s recent performance in this format. Bangladesh has mana
ged to shake off their reputation as a vulnerable side, clinching back-to-back series victories against top cricketing nations like Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Bangladesh is set to begin the tournament with a match against Hong Kong on September 11, followed by a face-off with Sri Lanka on September 13, and concluding their group matches against Afghanistan on September 16. An official from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) informed that the national team camp for the Asia Cup will commence on August 5.
Bangladesh has experienced a lengthy break from international cricket due to the postponement of the India series. However, the BCB is making efforts to organize a bilateral series or a tri-nation series by inviting Nepal and the Netherlands in August.