Women's U19 captain Sumaiya confident ahead of world cup mission

The Bangladesh Under-19 Women's cricket team are set to depart for Sri Lanka tomorrow to play four T20 matches against the hosts as part of their preparations for the upcoming U-19 World Cup, commencing on 18 January in Malaysia.

The four-match series against Sri Lanka will begin on 3 January and conclude on 9 January, after which the Bangladesh team will travel to Malaysia on 11 January.

Drawn in Group D, Bangladesh will face Australia, Nepal, and Scotland in the group stage.

Bangladesh skipper Sumaiya Akter expressed her determination for her side to make an impact in the tournament.

"Our first target is to play our game, regardless of whether the opponent is Australia or someone else. We know it will be difficult against Australia, but they will at least feel nervous about being in the same group as Bangladesh. This confidence isn't just based on past memories. We played the Asia Cup in Malaysia, the World Cup hosts, and since we have played there, we will have some advantage," she remarked.

Sumaiya also conveyed confidence in Bangladesh's prospects, citing the team's promising performances in the previous U-19 World Cup in South Africa, where they reached the Super Six. Notably, they defeated Australia in their opening fixture in Benoni last year, a victory from which Sumaiya believes her side will draw inspiration.