“In T20 Cricket, Even China Is a Big Team”

Bangladesh made a strong start to the Asia Cup with a commanding 7-wicket win over Hong Kong. Under the leadership of captain Litton Das, the Tigers produced a record-breaking performance where leg-spinner Rishad Hossain also reached the milestone of 50 international T20 wickets. However, amid the celebrations, questions were raised about Bangladesh’s batting approach—particularly their slow chase of Hong Kong’s 144-run target.

While Litton and Tawhid Hridoy’s 95-run partnership sealed victory, Hridoy faced criticism for his strike rate. He managed just 35 runs off 36 balls and admitted himself that he has been struggling.

At the post-match press conference, Hridoy said, "I’m struggling. Many players around the world go through this, and I am too. I’m trying to improve. Sometimes just one or two good shots can make the difference. My honeymoon period is over, and I hope I can overcome this phase soon."

On Bangladesh’s batting approach, he added, "We always go in with the approach to win. In the end, we won—that’s what matters."

Captain Litton Das also emphasized the importance of securing the opening win, "Winning the first match was very important. We’ve been playing good cricket in recent series, but the pressure in the Asia Cup is always higher, that’s natural (smiles). Today we played well. The wicket wasn’t easy, it was hard to hit every ball. The ground is big, so we had to rely on ones and twos to keep the scoreboard ticking."

Although many felt Bangladesh could have accelerated to improve their net run rate in the group stage, the team’s main focus remained on getting the job done. On this, Hridoy explained, "We first tried to make sure we won. Maybe we could have finished two overs earlier, but winning was the priority. At the end of the day, the result is what matters."

Hridoy also dismissed the notion of “small teams” in cricket, "There’s no such thing as a small team. In cricket, every side is big. In the context of T20s, even China is a big team."