Bangladesh are still alive in Asia Cup 2025. Barely, yes, but alive. Their nail-biting eight-run win over Afghanistan has kept the Super Four door ajar, and it wasn’t just Tanzid Hasan Tamim’s silky half-century that did it. It was the bowlers. The same bowlers Tanzid later called “world-class” after the game, grinning like he already knew the headline would run with it.
Let’s be real: this wasn’t a day when the batters carried the weight. Bangladesh had to scrap for every run. But when Nasum Ahmed opened the defence with a wicket first ball — a proper ripper that spun back so much Sediqullah Atal didn’t even bother reviewing — it set the tone. He finished with a miserly 2 for 11. Mustafizur Rahman chipped in with three, Rishad Hossain took two, and Taskin Ahmed brought the heat.
What stood out wasn’t just the execution, but the depth they’ve managed to build. From the Sri Lanka game, Bangladesh made some bold switches: out went Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Shoriful Islam, in came Nurul Hasan for batting insurance, Taskin Ahmed to add experience up front, and Nasum as the tactical pick. It worked like a charm. Afghanistan’s top-heavy line-up struggles against left-arm spin, and Nasum is tailor-made for that role. By the time Mustafizur started mixing his cutters at the death and Rishad added attacking wrist spin in the middle overs, the pressure had built up perfectly.
Yes, the Saif–Shamim combo leaked 55 in four overs trying to plug the “fifth bowler” gap. But the rest? They stood tall. It was the kind of performance that makes Tanzid’s “world-class” comment feel less like fluff and more like a quiet warning. Remember, they are also missing big names in Nahid Rana, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud due to varied reasons.
But, on paper, even with the bowlers in this Asia Cup, Bangladesh now have a left-arm spinner who takes powerplay wickets, a wrist spinner who hunts in the middle, two frontline pacers with very different skillsets, and Mustafizur to ice games at the death. That’s a bowling spine most teams would envy, and in these UAE conditions, it can punch above its weight.
And then there’s India. The big boss of the Asia Cup, walking in like they own the place. First game? They rolled over the UAE for just 57, chased it down in less time than it takes to brew a pot of chai: 4.3 overs flat. Blink and you’d have missed it.
Then came Pakistan. If ever there was a test, it was that one, or so it was said. India simply shut them down at 127/9, a score exaggerated by some Shaheen Afridi’s wild heaves, and strolled to the target with seven wickets and four overs in hand. No fuss, no drama, just a ruthless job well done.
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This tournament is theirs to lose and there is no doubting that. In fact, an India A team might just easily beat any other team in this Asia Cup. It’s just the truth.
Kuldeep Yadav is ripping through sides, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel are tying batters in knots, and the batting line-up goes so deep you half-expect the team bus driver to walk in at No. 9 with a bat. Oh, and let’s not forget the Bumrah twist: India are using him up top in the powerplay, three overs on the bounce, which is great for dinner to be served early.
Still, when your net run-rate reads like a typo (+4.793), you’re not just favourites, you’re practically untouchable.
So here’s the question: can Bangladesh bite back? Against most sides, India look untouchable. Against this Bangladesh bowling attack, though, there’s at least a sliver of intrigue.
The UAE and Abu Dhabi pitches are slow, sticky, and spin-friendly. It’s perfect for Nasum’s skiddy darts in the powerplay and Rishad’s wrist-spin in the middle overs. Mustafizur still has that cutter to make batters swear under their breath at the death. And Taskin probably just gets that extra nip and bounce to trouble India batters. Then there’s Tanzim Hasan, who has troubled India in the past, and Shoriful Islam, who can swing the new ball. India have counters to most of these, but again, it’s not a one-sided battle that can be outright written off as a no-contest.
The other crack, if you could call it that, in India’s armour is their bowling blueprint. Bumrah’s overs are being front-loaded, Hardik Pandya is opening, and suddenly the back-end looks a touch less scary. If Bangladesh can survive the Bumrah burst and put India’s spinners under scoreboard pressure, there’s a world where this gets interesting.
Nobody’s pretending this is a 50-50 fight. It’s not even 80-20. India are the juggernaut, the side with trophies in their backpack and swagger in their walk. But dark horses don’t need even footing, they need moments.
And Bangladesh, with their bowling unit that doubles in value in these conditions, might just have the tools to create those moments. The batting might wobble against India’s incredible bowling firepower, but get the toss right and if the bowlers can put on a show, suddenly the mountain might not look quite as steep.
So, world-class? Maybe not yet. Dangerous enough to give India a scare? Maybe. Just a maybe. Only if the battle ever happens. A lot of ifs and buts. But if the stars align under the desert lights, the “dark horse” tag could suddenly look a lot shinier.
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