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Bangladesh started their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a seven-wicket victory against Hong Kong, China. In the match played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on September 11, 2025, the team started their tournament with high expectations, buoyed by a string of recent series wins. The pace attack of Bangladesh included veteran pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. Taskin claimed two wickets for 38 runs in his four-over spell, including the early dismissal of opener Anshuman Rath for just 4 runs in the second over. While Mustafizur went wicketless conceding 22 runs in four overs.
In a surprising development ahead of Bangladesh's pivotal Group B encounter with Sri Lanka at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Taskin Ahmed has been ruled out, with left-arm quick Shoriful Islam named as his replacement in the playing XI. At the toss, Bangladesh skipper Litton Das opted to bat first but offered no specific reason for Taskin's omission, simply stating, “We have to improve in certain areas, to win a game you got to get everything right,” before focusing on the team's strategy against Sri Lanka's potent spin attack.
It is speculated that such a decision might be coming after the expensive spell that Taskin bowled in the game against Hong Kong, China. Taskin conceded 38 runs at an economy rate of 9.50 runs per over, and he also started his spell with a no-ball, providing a sense of confidence to the opponent.
Taskin set the tone early: Litton Das praised pacer's early breakthrough in Asia Cup 2025 opener
Taskin's figures, while not his most economical, showcased his ability to strike at crucial junctures, equaling Shakib Al Hasan's record for the most powerplay wickets in T20Is with 37 scalps overall. “Taskin set the tone early,” Litton Das had praised him in the post-match, highlighting how the right-armer's bounce and pace troubled the Hong Kong top order on a pitch offering some seam movement. Despite his two wickets, he leaked runs in the middle overs, conceding boundaries to Nizakat Khan, who top-scored with 42, and Yasim Murtaza, who accelerated with a quick 28. His economy was higher than his career T20I average of around 8.00, raising questions about his rhythm in the death overs. This subpar control, combined with the UAE's typically spin-friendly conditions at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, might have influenced the team management's decision to rest him.
Bangladesh is currently placed second in the points table of Group B with two points, with Afghanistan reigning at the top with two points but a better Net Run Rate (NRR). Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Bangladesh, who recently beat them in the T20I series in their backyard. In the other group of the Asia Cup, India will face Pakistan on Sunday, September 14, 2025. Both the teams are coming against each other after winning their first encounters against UAE and Oman respectively.
