Litton Das sets sights on Asian Games final as Bangladesh depart for Japan

Bangladesh T20I skipper Litton Das has made the team's ambition clear ahead of their Asian Games campaign in Japan: reach the final and, ideally, come home with gold.

"I feel we are very well prepared, and the target is definitely clear. Since we are going into a tournament, we want to reach the final and hopefully do something good there," Litton told reporters after Bangladesh's second practice match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Wednesday (September 23).

Preparation after a long T20 break

The squad underwent fitness and skill sessions before playing two practice matches, which Litton said proved particularly valuable given the team's long absence from T20 cricket — their last T20I series came in Zimbabwe.

"The preparation has been very good. We have had the opportunity to play two practice games after a long time. As you know, our last T20I series was in Zimbabwe, so these practice games have given us an opportunity to build our bonding as a team," he said.

A rare opportunity

With Bangladesh having struggled to win medals across several other events at the Asian Games, Litton acknowledged the weight of expectation — but stressed the players' enthusiasm. Cricket returned only a single gold for the nation so far: the men's title at the 2010 Asian Games, which remains the country's only gold medal at the Games.

"Of course, everyone will have expectations. In fact, as a player, I will also go there expecting to do something good. One thing I can say is that our players are very eager to play this tournament because it does not come around every year. You get franchise leagues or national team assignments regularly, but this tournament is a rare opportunity. Every player is excited, and we will all try to fulfil what would be a bigger dream for us," said Litton.

Studying conditions in Nagoya

The team have also been monitoring the women's cricket matches at the Asian Games to gather information about conditions in Nagoya ahead of their own campaign.

"Conditions we are trying to assess. We have watched the women's games. We have gathered what we need from those games," Litton added.

Bangladesh will leave for Japan on September 24 in two groups — the first group of players and coaching staff departing in the evening, with the rest following later that night. Their campaign begins with a direct quarter-final on September 29.