Bangladesh came into the limelight when they recorded a shocking win against India in the 2007 World Cup. They have slowly improved their game in all formats of the game. The Bangla Tigers are not just one of the participants in ICC events these days, but they are among the teams who finish in decent positions on the points table.
The strongest format of Bangladesh cricket is ODIs. They did qualify for 2019 World Cup semifinals, but they had made it to the 2017 Champions Trophy semifinals. Here’s what the team’s captain Tamim Iqbal recently said:
“I was taken by surprise when I saw that we had completed qualification,” Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. “Because of the other teams’ results, it came early. It gives a bit of breather, but it is not the ultimate goal. We have to finish in the top four if possible.”
The 2023 World Cup is still some time away, but here are three reasons why the Asian team can make it to semifinals for the first time.
1. Conditions in India will help Bangladesh team
The 2019 World Cup and the 2015 World Cup happened in England and Australia. While the Asian team made it to the quarterfinals of the mega event in 2015, they could not make it to the knockout stage in 2019.
The 2023 World Cup will take place in India. The subcontinental conditions will help the Tamim Iqbal-led outfit more than the conditions in England and Australia.
2. Experienced campaigners
They have many experienced campaigners like Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Mustafizur Rahman. These four players have mastered ODI cricket, making the squad much stronger than previous editions.
3. Bangladesh have improved their game in crunch situations
In the past, this team lost several close encounters and stole defeat from the jaws of winning. However, the things have changed now, and they know how to keep their nerve and complete close wins.
