Tigers take on India for Asian supremacy

Bangladesh will be eyeing to register their mark in cricket’s shortest format when they take on India in the final of the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament at Mirpur today.
The home side will have to defy all the odds to fetch a victory as their opponents are currently ICC number one ranked Twenty20 squad with enormous amount of T20I experience and strength.
But the Tigers will be encouraged with their recent winning run and will try to continue with their momentum after their success against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the tournament en route to final.
The hype around the final had reached the optimum level that developed through passing days and the match is expected to be a cliffhanger.
Tickets of the final looked to be the most desired commodity among the fans and they were ready to buy it at exuberant price having failed to gather them from the designated booth of UCBL bank.
The only concern for the hosts is the unexpected quadriceps muscle injury of Sakib al Hasan though that is not expected to hamper his participation in the final.
Apart from losing talented left-arm pace bowler Mustafizor Rahman, Tigers’ squad looked all but settled and surely strengthened with the inclusion of Tamim Iqbal.
Tamim missed the opening game against India as he was on leave to be with his wife who had given birth to their first child in Bangkok but the left-hander returned before the final group match and joined the side.
However, Tigers skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza said on Saturday that he is not ready to accept the outcome of the final as the deciding factor of nation’s overall success in the sport.
‘It does not matter if we lose,’ said Mashrafee.
‘I firmly believe that it is not a fact that our cricket will stop here because we have a bright future ahead,’ said Mashrafee.
‘We are able to show we are moving forward through this tournament in Twenty20 format,’ said Mashrafee.
Bangladesh would like to take this confidence ahead and would be keen to win the tournament as it would be their perfect confidence booster ahead of the ICC Twenty20 campaign.
India are ready to spoil their party as they are determined to remain as the world’s leading force in the format and a slip will surely dent their ego.
India team’s director Ravi Shastri said they are approaching the game with all their focus without trying to put extra pressure on their shoulder that comes along the tag of the favourites.
‘Why treat it as a final? You approach it like you’ve approached every game in this tournament,’ said Shastri.
‘For us every game is a knockout, we’ve approached it in that fashion,’ he said.
‘And we’ll approach tomorrow’s game in no different manner,’ said Shastri.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net