Bangladesh batter Sharmin Akhter Supta has fired a rallying cry ahead of Thursday's Women's Asia Cup semi-final against India, insisting the team cannot dream of lifting the trophy unless they genuinely believe they can beat their Asian rivals.

Bangladesh, who edged past UAE to seal their place in the last four, will face India at Dubai International Stadium on Thursday (September 10), with the winner advancing to the final.

'You must have that self-belief'

"If we don't even believe that we can beat India, then we shouldn't even dream of becoming Asia Cup champions. I firmly believe that to win the Asia Cup, you inevitably have to face India at some stage, whether in the semifinal or the final. You must have that self-belief," Sharmin told Cricbuzz ahead of the crunch knockout.

The right-handed batter is banking on the extra motivation that facing a heavyweight generates. "When playing against India, there's naturally a strong positive vibe among everyone to perform well, as India is a big name in Asian cricket. I feel that this positive energy motivates the entire squad. If we perform well, there's no doubt we'll create a strong chance of winning," she said.

'In a knockout, how big a team is doesn't matter'

Sharmin stressed that reputations count for little in a one-off semi-final. "In a knockout game, you have to treat whichever opponent you face as a tough team. The main focus right now is to go out there and enjoy the game. You have to play with enjoyment, aim to minimize mistakes on that given day, and play strictly to win. At the end of the day, in a semifinal, how big a team is doesn't really matter all that much," she added.

Drawing inspiration from 2018

Bangladesh are drawing confidence from their memorable 2018 Asia Cup triumph, when they defeated India in the group stage before beating them again in the final in Malaysia.

"Even back in the 2018 Asia Cup when we became champions, we had to beat India in the group stage, and then we defeated them again in the final to claim the trophy. As I mentioned earlier, back in 2018, we beat India twice on our way to becoming champions. India is undeniably a big name, but if you can beat them, the path to the Asia Cup becomes much clearer," she said.

Since that 2018 final, the two sides have met 13 times in T20I cricket, with India winning 12 of those contests and Bangladesh managing just a single victory.

"The same principle applies to us now: nothing is impossible. Yes, they are a formidable team whose primary strength lies in their batting, whereas our primary strength is our bowling. If we can back up our bowling with an improved batting performance and play well on that particular day, I genuinely believe we can beat India," she said.

Asked about her own preparation for the big occasion, Sharmin revealed she is not losing any sleep. "When I step onto the field, I don't overthink who the bowler is or how big the opposition is, focusing on that beforehand doesn't help. We never truly know what will happen on the field. On any given day, even the best bowler can have an off day, and an unexpected bowler can deliver an outstanding spell. That specific day is what really matters, how well your plans are designed and how effectively you execute them. I hope we stay focused on going in with a strong plan and executing it well," she added.

Nahida backs batters to come good

Fellow batter Nahida Akter is confident the batting unit can produce far more than the modest 103-7 posted against UAE, a total defended successfully for a 34-run victory thanks to a crucial 42-run partnership between the pair.

Sharmin top-scored with 38 off 31 balls, hitting three fours, while Nahida contributed an unbeaten 16 off 26 deliveries to help Bangladesh cross the 100-run mark.

"Alhamdulillah that we were able to win yesterday's match (against UAE), even though it was a low-scoring one. Still, I'd say we won because of our strength, our bowling strength. I'd also point out that given the behavior of the pitch, or the kind of wicket we've been playing on here, I feel it's a bit of a slow-track wicket. On a pitch like that, I reckon 120–130 runs is a perfect total. That said, we were probably 10–15 runs short," Nahida told Cricbuzz.

"Having said that, I know our batters are capable of much more. We have that belief in them, and we always hold that faith. InshaAllah, our batters will make a strong comeback," she said.

Nahida also confirmed the side has a clear plan for the semi-final. "Since we have a match against India tomorrow, we definitely have a team plan in place. We will try to bowl according to that plan. That said, India is a big team - as we all know - and everyone is well aware of their batting strength," she concluded.