ASIA CUP 2025
Bangladesh secured a 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka in the last series played between the two teams © Getty
Tanzim Sakib, the Bangladesh pacer, is confident going into the team’s upcoming clash against Sri Lanka in the ongoing Asia Cup, citing the recent success against the Asian side. In the last five encounters between the two teams, Bangladesh have won three times, including a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka in July this year.
After having secured a comfortable seven-wicket win in their opening encounter against Hong Kong, Bangladesh are set to face Sri Lanka in their second group-stage encounter at the Sheikh Abu Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
A victory against Sri Lanka would significantly strengthen their qualification chances to the next round.
“It’s very straightforward. Our approach will be to go for the win. Last time we won the T20 series in Sri Lanka, which gives us confidence. We will step onto the field looking for victory,” Tanzim told reporters ahead of their game.
“We have played a lot of games against Sri Lanka (in recent times). We know each and every player, and we plan accordingly. They have some very good players, and we will try to stop them by playing our best cricket.”
There have been many heated battles between the two teams in recent years, but Tanzim added that he is not concerned about the rivalry between the Asian neighbours.
“Rivalries will always be there. But in a tournament, no matter which team you play against, winning is the main thing. Be it Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, or Pakistan, we will enter the field to win. For me, rivalries are not the key issue; winning matches is what’s important. And winning the last series against Sri Lanka gives us a lot of confidence. When you’ve beaten a team before, it definitely boosts your confidence,” said Tanzim.
Tanzim added that he is again following the path that brought him success in the last T20I World Cup rather than trying to experiment a lot. Tanzim made a mark in the last World Cup by picking 11 wickets but somehow could not continue with that form though in the recent past.
“In the T20 World Cup, my focus was only on line and length. Against any opponent, any batter, my focus stayed the same. I have set that as my target again, to just maintain line and length and let’s see how it goes,” he concluded.
© Cricbuzz
