After the T20I series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Netherlands, Bangladesh is finally all set to participate in the Asia Cup 2025. With the squad already announced, and considering their recent successes, the big questions remain: Have the preparations been perfect for the Tigers? Can they finally win the country’s first men’s Asia Cup title? Do they have an edge over every opponent, even in the group stage?
The answer to all these questions would probably be “No” if asked by fans, and former cricketers and commentators might agree. In an interview with IANS, Russell Arnold said, “Bangladesh can turn into a big threat at any stage. Recently, Sri Lanka lost a series 2-1 to Bangladesh on their own soil. So the job will not be easy. But I believe Sri Lanka will play better cricket this time. Inside the team, there is now an effort to understand everyone’s role and a mindset to move forward toward the goal. That is why I think Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will go to the next round from this group.” Aakash Chopra also predicted that Bangladesh would finish their Asia Cup 2025 journey in the group stage in a recent YouTube video.
However, if the question becomes how ‘versatile’ this Bangladesh side is compared to previous squads in the country’s Asia Cup history, or whether the team is rich in variations and a stronger T20 unit than ever before, the answer could be “Yes” from many fans.
So how good is Bangladesh this time in terms of versatility? Let’s start with the bowling attack. There is one right-arm seamer who can move it both ways off the surface in Taskin Ahmed, a left-arm seamer who can shape it back into the right-hander with the new ball, a hit-the-deck-hard kind of fast-medium bowler in Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and, last but not least, Mustafizur Rahman, who needs no introduction, especially for the X-factor he brings.
The spin attack is full of talent with differing skills. There’s an off-break bowler, a left-arm orthodox spinner, and a tall leg-spinner – the squad has them all. Mahedi Hasan, the offie, is not a typical Bangladeshi off-break bowler. The 30-year-old has an economy of just 6.79 in T20Is. He varies his pace, relies on the arm-ball, and also turns it slightly with good speed. Nasum Ahmed, the slow left-arm orthodox spinner, played two T20Is recently. Against Pakistan and the Netherlands, his figures were 2/22 in 4 overs and 3/21 in 4 overs, respectively. Rishad Hossain, the most celebrated of them all, has not performed well against Pakistan or the Netherlands, but he brings an X-factor. He is tall, has pace, can trouble batters bowling close to the body, and can turn it sharply. The youngster has also been trying to master the googly recently, glimpses of which were seen in some games. Rishad Hossain had success in the T20 World Cup 2024, and the team will look forward to his performance in his first Asia Cup.
The biggest positive in Bangladesh’s batting unit compared to previous squads is the better use of the powerplay. The go-to opening duo of Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon has hit a total of 45 sixes in 2025 alone, with 23 to Tamim and 22 to Emon. Tamim has a strike rate of 145.56 this year, and Emon’s is even higher at 153.81. Litton Das returning among runs just before the Asia Cup is another boost. Wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali brings explosiveness while also playing responsibly. On many occasions, he has had to tackle collapse situations rather than play his natural game. Tawhid Hridoy, once known for strike rotation, has been quieter recently.
If Hridoy cannot be played in the XI regularly, Saif Hassan can fill the void – not just with hitting, but also by bowling a couple of overs. Shamim Hossain can do the same with the ball, while his unorthodox shots behind square on the leg side or by reverse-ramping over slip or third man can entertain and advance Bangladesh on the scoreboard. There is also a seam-bowling all-rounder in the squad – Mohammad Saifuddin. In three games he played in 2025 (two against Sri Lanka, one against Pakistan), Saifuddin picked up four wickets at an economy of 7.1.
In a nutshell, Bangladesh has a dynamic opening duo to utilize the powerplay, Litton Das to carry on the innings, a middle order including Saif Hassan, Jaker Ali, and Shamim Hossain who play with intent rather than unnecessary anchoring, a seaming all-rounder, a leg-break bowler, a powerplay-specialist offie, a slow left-arm orthodox spinner, and a fast-bowling attack with variations. Has Bangladesh ever gone into an Asia Cup with a more complete squad? Perhaps not.
However, the team still needs to address collapses that have plagued them, fix issues with death-over bowling, and use players in the right roles. Only then can they hope for something big. Otherwise, their versatility will count for little.