The T20 format of the Asia Cup kicks off in the UAE on September 9. Bangladesh will play their opening match against Hong Kong on September 11. Ahead of the tournament, the first group of players and staff, including captain Litton Das, departed Dhaka on Sunday.
Before leaving the country, batter Jaker Ali Anik expressed his confidence and strong intent. For him, participation alone is not the goal this time—Bangladesh are aiming for the trophy.
“The team is not going just to participate, but with the aim of becoming champions,” Zakir said.
Speaking about the team’s preparation and mindset, Jaker added, “Of course, we’ll try to perform well. We’ll focus on each match step by step. The preparation has been good, and our ultimate goal is to be champions. We firmly believe in this mindset. Insha’Allah, we are going there to win the trophy.”
The Bangladesh team has already faced criticism ahead of the Asia Cup, with former cricketers like Aakash Chopra questioning their chances. When asked about such remarks, Jaker responded:
“There’s no need to answer anyone. We will play our best cricket. We all believe we’re going there with the mindset of becoming champions.”
For the first time, the Asia Cup will feature eight teams. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan have qualified directly for the main round, while hosts UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong booked their places through the qualifiers.
The teams have been split into two groups. Group A consists of India, Pakistan, Oman, and UAE, while Group B features Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. Each team will face the others in their group once, with the top two sides advancing to the Super Four. From there, the top two teams will progress to the final.
Bangladesh’s group-stage fixtures:
September 11: vs Hong Kong
September 13: vs Sri Lanka
September 16: vs Afghanistan
