Bangladesh skipper wants more than another last-four exit

Bangladesh women's cricket team captain Nigar Sultana Joty has made her ambitions clear ahead of the Women's Asia Cup: simply reaching the semi-finals is no longer good enough. The skipper said on Monday that her side is targeting a place in the final as they look to finally break a persistent knockout-stage barrier.

Bangladesh, who depart on August 26 for the tournament, are currently putting the finishing touches to their preparations at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Dubai from August 28, with Bangladesh placed in Group B alongside defending champions Sri Lanka, the UAE and Indonesia.

"Our main target this time is to play in the final. We have played in the semi-finals before and then been knocked out. The same thing has happened repeatedly, so we want to break that barrier this time," Joty said after an official photo session on Monday.

Avoiding India the key to a deep run

Joty pointed to the group-stage fixtures as the foundation for any success, stressing that topping the group could spare Bangladesh a meeting with continental powerhouses India in the last four.

"The group-stage matches are very important because if we can become group champions, we will not have to face India in the semi-final. The situation becomes much tougher when we face India in the semi-finals," she said.

On preparation, the captain was upbeat. "Our preparation has been very good because we have played quite a few practice matches this time. Since all the games will be played in Sri Lanka, we also played two practice matches there. Preparation-wise, I think it has been very good," she added.

Bangladesh open their Asia Cup campaign against Indonesia on August 31 before taking on Sri Lanka on September 6 and the UAE on September 8.

Momentum building towards Asian Games medal push

Joty believes a strong showing in Dubai can lay the groundwork for the Asian Games in Japan, where expectations within the camp are high.

"If we can play the Asia Cup in a better way, it will also create a big opportunity for us in the Asian Games," said Joty. "If you talk about the Asian Games, our first target is to go there and win a medal. There are a lot of expectations from our team. We want to bring home a medal, and if it is gold, that would be even bigger. We will certainly try to do that."

"First comes the Asia Cup, so if we can perform better there, that will definitely have a reflection on the Asian Games. If we can adapt to the conditions and play better cricket, we will have a good chance of doing well in both tournaments," she concluded.

At the Asian Games, Bangladesh will face China in the first quarter-final on September 17. The women's cricket competition will be played in the T20 format at Korogi Sports Park in Aichi, with Bangladesh looking to improve on their past returns — silver at the 2010 edition and bronze at the 2022 Games.