Bangladesh Unfazed by Nepal’s Play, Unchanged in Approach and Goals

In the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Bangladesh only has Nepal standing in their way to reach the Super Eight. The Tigers will play their final group stage match on Eid day, at 5:30 AM Bangladesh time.

A win in this match in Saint Vincent will secure Bangladesh's spot in the Super Eight. If they lose, their fate will depend on various contingencies.

Bangladesh has beaten Sri Lanka and the Netherlands and lost by just 4 runs to South Africa. In contrast, Nepal is yet to register a win, having lost to the Netherlands and South Africa, while their match against Sri Lanka was abandoned due to rain.

Nepal narrowly lost to South Africa by just 1 run. Despite their competitive cricket, which has caught the world's attention, Bangladesh remains steadfast in their approach against Nepal.

In response to whether Bangladesh will change their playing style after seeing Nepal’s fighting spirit, pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib said in a press conference:

“We will continue to play aggressive cricket as before. Nepal played well, and we commend them. However, we will also try to play our best cricket.”

“We play every match to win, and that goal remains here as well. We will play this match to win. Those who did not score in previous matches, we hope they will regain confidence by scoring in this one. As bowlers, we will try to bowl wicket-to-wicket and build confidence for the Super Eight. This will be our focus.”

In Saint Vincent, Bangladesh played against the Netherlands, while Nepal faced South Africa. After observing the conditions and having played a match, Sakib believes that scoring 150 runs on a fresh wicket is defendable.

When asked about the par score on the wicket, he said, “The wicket was good against the Netherlands. Despite some bounce variability, batting was fine. A score of 170 would be competitive. I watched the Nepal-South Africa match, and the ball was turning there. In that case, 150 runs would be good on this wicket.”

“All the wickets in those matches were taken by spinners. We will play on a fresh wicket, so we hope to score well. We do not have a defensive mindset; we are staying positive.”