Bangladesh opener Saif Hassan expressed confidence in his team’s chances of reaching the Asia Cup final following their spirited four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage.

After surviving an early scare in the group stage, the Tigers bounced back strongly in Colombo, chasing down Sri Lanka’s target in a tense, closely contested match. 

Saif led the charge with a fluent 61 off 45 balls, while Towhid Hridoy added a valuable 58. With the ball, left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman shone brightly, claiming three wickets for just 20 runs in four overs.

Despite the early dismissal of opener Tanzid Tamim for a duck, Saif maintained composure and launched a counter-attack that laid the foundation for Bangladesh’s run chase. 

“Of course, we’re confident about making it to the final,” Saif said after the match. “Even before coming here, we believed we could reach the final. But we must move step by step. Right now, our full focus is on the next game against India,” he said.

Reflecting on the innings, Saif explained the strategy after the early setback: “Once Tanzid was out, Liton Das and I decided to counter-attack. Liton bhai guided me really well. Our main goal was to capitalise on the powerplay.”

Though Liton departed for 23, a 54-run partnership between Saif and Hridoy helped Bangladesh regain control. Sri Lanka’s bowling trio of Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga maintained tight lines, but the Bangladeshi batters kept the required rate within reach.

Saif was also full of praise for Mustafizur’s match-winning spell. “Mustafiz bhai is a world-class bowler. He always steps up when the team is in trouble, and today was no exception. His wickets came at just the right time,” he said.

The result marks a major boost for Bangladesh’s Asia Cup campaign as they prepare for a crucial encounter with India in the next Super Four fixture.

SMS/