DHAKA: After the high of making it to the final of the 2016 Asia Cup, Bangladesh will be hoping to carry forward the momentum and make their mark in the sixth edition of the ICC World Twenty20.

With a healthy mix of zestful youngsters like Sabbir Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar and experienced campaigners such as Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh have the caliber to upset some of the big teams in the competition, reports the TOI.

By virtue of being the ninth ranked T20I team, Bangladesh will have to play the first round matches in order to qualify for the Super 10s. In the group consisting of Ireland, Netherlands and Oman, qualification will not be a cakewalk for Bangladesh, but they sure do start as the favourites to make it to the next round.

Group: Group A (First Round)
Captain: Mashrafe Mortaza

Strengths
In the last two years, Bangladesh have been able to put together a XI that is quite balanced in terms of batting and bowling and they have enjoyed much success with that combination. Lead by Mortaza, the young pace battery of Taskin, Al-Amin Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman have swung games in their team's favour.

But keeping in mind that the World T20 will be played in batting friendly conditions of India, Bangladesh's batsmen would need to be sturdier in application because they have proven stroke-makers in their top four that are capable of utilising the conditions.

Shabbir was the star performer during the Asia Cup scoring 176 runs at 44.00 from five matches, while all-rounder Mahmudullah reinforced his status as Bangladesh's go-to-man with some punchy cameos and useful wickets.

With Mushfiqur and Shakib providing the much-needed stability in the middle order, Bangladesh will rely heavily on their batting in the World T20.

Weaknesses

There was a time when Bangladesh produced spinners in abundance, especially left-armers, and they were considered the team's biggest weapon.

But with the focus shifting towards fast bowlers, ironically the spin department seems to be Bangladesh's weakness.

Shakib's lack of form with the ball has contributed heavily to this predicament. The selectors have recalled off break bowler Nasir Hossain for the World T20 to strengthen the spin department while Arafat Sunny is the only other specialist spinner in the squad.

X-factor

Sabbir Rahman at the top of the order is a delight to watch and Bangladesh will rely heavily on him. An aggressive player, the biggest reason behind Sabbir's success is that he can shift gears with ease and is capable of turning match on it's head in a flash.

In the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka, Sabbir walked in at 2/2 and scored a 54-ball 80 to help Bangladesh post a defendable total on a pitch where everyone else seemed to struggle. An excellent fielder and a handy leg spinner, when Rahman gets going it is hard to stop him.

Dark horse

With concerns over Mustafizur's availability owing to a side strain, he suffered during Asia Cup, the focus shifts to the 20-year-old pace bowler.

A fast bowler who regularly clocks over 140 kmph, Taskin has the ability to wickets upfront with his out swingers; but in the Asia Cup, he displayed another promising skill - the ability to bowl in pressure situations. Sample his latest performance, figures of 1/14 in three overs against India in Sunday's final.

Early on in his career, Taskin had issues with consistency and was often guilty of straying in line, but he seems to have learnt from his mistakes. His high-arm action assists him in getting extra bounce and in Indian conditions; he could prove to be a key figure for Bangladesh.

2016 T20I form guide

P 9 W 5 L 4

Record v 2016 World T20 opposition

v Ireland: P 4 W 3 L 1

v Netherlands: P 2 W 1 L 1

v Oman: NOT PLAYED

What Bangladesh did in the 2014 World T20:

Bangladesh finished at the top of the table in the group stages (Qualifying Round) registering two wins and losing only to Hong Kong. They advanced to the Super 10 stage and played in Group 2 consisting of India, West Indies, Pakistan and Australia, but failed to win a single game.

Squad

Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Arafat Sunny, Abu Hider, Nurul Hasan

Fixtures

March 9: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
March 11: Bangladesh vs Ireland, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
March 13: Bangladesh vs Oman, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala

Prediction

With wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan during the Asia Cup, Bangladesh are better than their current status shows. Once they get past the qualifying round, expect them to target another defeat of Pakistan. India, Australia and New Zealand will be tougher to beat.

BDST: 1518 HRS, MAR 07, 2016
RS/SMS