Sports Desk:

Bangladesh have come agonisingly close to winning the Asia Cup on three occasions, only to fall short each time. Determined to put past disappointments behind them, Litton Kumar Das and his side have now set off for the United Arab Emirates with one ultimate goal — lifting the trophy.

The first group of players and officials departed Dhaka on Sunday morning at 10:15am, with the second batch scheduled to fly out in the evening at 7:30pm.

Litton himself was part of the first contingent, alongside Jaker Ali Anik, Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shamim Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Shak Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain. Fielding coach James Pamment, strength and conditioning coach Nathan Kelly and BCB media manager Rabeed Imam also accompanied them.

Speaking to the media before departure, Jaker Ali underlined the team’s ambition, “Of course, we’ll try to perform well. Our aim is to improve step by step in every match. Preparation has been good. All in all, if you ask me, our main target is to become champions. We want to play good cricket step by step and have a successful tournament.”

Bangladesh’s best finish at the Asia Cup has been as runners-up, reaching the finals three times between 2012 and 2018 but never managing to claim the silverware. More recently, their form has dipped in the competition, bowing out in the first round once and failing to progress beyond the Super Four in the last edition.

Ahead of this year’s tournament, India’s former opener Aakash Chopra cast doubt on Bangladesh’s chances, remarking that the side tends to falter in big events. Jaker, however, brushed aside the comments.

“There’s no need to respond to anyone. We’ll play our cricket. We’ll play our best cricket. The dressing room environment has always been good. Overall, our preparation has been very strong — starting from the fitness camp to the Netherlands series. So, we’re hoping for something good in the Asia Cup,” he added.

Captain Litton Das also shared a message with fans on social media before the flight, vowing to give his all for the nation.

“Mission Asia Cup 2025 begins! Seeking prayers from the best supporters in the world for me and my team. We promise to give our very best in the UAE — taking it one match at a time, with the ultimate dream of lifting the trophy,” Litton wrote.

Bangladesh have been drawn in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The tournament gets underway on Tuesday, but Bangladesh will begin their campaign on 11 September against Hong Kong.

The Tigers head into the Asia Cup on a positive run of form in T20Is. After beating Sri Lanka on their home soil, they followed up with series wins in Dhaka against Pakistan and the Netherlands.