Bangladesh cruise to U-19 Asia Cup semi-finals with consecutive wins
On Sunday, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh defeated Nepal by 5 wickets in their second Group B match.
Bangladesh fought their opening match of the U-19 Asia Cup against Afghanistan with some apprehension, knowing the threat posed by their opponents. However, the defending champions began their campaign on a high note by defeating Afghanistan. Continuing their dominance, they claimed another victory against Nepal, sealing a spot in the semi-finals with a comfortable win, despite a less-than-impressive batting display.
On Sunday, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh defeated Nepal by 5 wickets in their second Group B match. This win secured Azizul Hakim Tamim's team a semi-final ticket with one group match remaining. Their final group stage opponent will be Sri Lanka, who have also qualified for the semis after two wins. Meanwhile, Afghanistan and Nepal are out of contention, having lost both their matches.
After losing the toss, Nepal batted first but struggled against the brilliant bowling of Al Fahad, Iqbal Hossain Imon, and Rizwan Hossain. Nepal were bowled out for 141 runs in 45.4 overs. In response, half-centuries from opener Jawad Abrar and skipper Azizul Hakim helped Bangladesh chase down the target with 128 balls to spare.
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Bangladesh's chase got off to a rocky start when opener Kalam Siddique was dismissed with just one run on the board. However, Jawad and Azizul stabilised the innings with a 90-run second-wicket partnership. Jawad scored an impressive 59 off 65 balls, including 5 fours and 4 sixes, before being dismissed. Mohammad Shihab James fell on the very next ball, leaving Bangladesh at 91/3.
Despite losing two quick wickets, Bangladesh remained steady. Azizul, alongside Farid Hasan, built a 43-run fourth-wicket stand. Farid scored 15 runs before getting out, but Azizul, partnering with Debashish Deva, ensured victory for Bangladesh. The left-handed skipper remained unbeaten on 52 off 72 balls, hitting 2 fours and 3 sixes. Nepal's leg-spinner Yuvraj Khatri claimed 4 wickets, while Hemant Dhami picked up 1.
Earlier in Nepal's innings, Akash Tripathi top-scored with 43 runs, while Uttam Magar and Abhishek Tiwari contributed 29 runs each. None of the other eight batsmen reached double figures. For Bangladesh, Fahad, Iqbal, and Rizwan took 2 wickets each, while Saad, Rafi, and Azizul claimed one apiece.
