In the heart of the Asia Cup’s Super Four stage, Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali called right at the toss and chose to bowl first against Pakistan in their key clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. This matchup feels like a virtual semifinal, with both teams holding one win and one loss so far—India already locked in the final after beating both, while Sri Lanka sits eliminated with two defeats.
Bangladesh faces a challenge without their regular skipper Litton Das, putting extra pressure on Jaker to lead the side. "We want to bowl first—it’s a pretty dry wicket, and we’ve been strong chasing lately," Jaker said after the toss. "Our bowlers have stepped up, but we need to bat sharply today. We’re all in for the championship mindset." The Tigers made three changes: Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, and Tamim Iqbal sit out, with Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, and Mahedi Hasan coming in.
Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha had hoped to bat first but took the decision in stride. "The pitch looks solid, so it’s all good," he noted. "Building scoreboard pressure is huge—we’ve defended totals over 150 well, like in our win over Sri Lanka. We’re sticking to our plans, playing smart cricket, and focusing on this game to push toward the final." The Men in Green field the same lineup from their last outing.
Here’s how the teams stack up:
Bangladesh Playing XI: Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali (w/c), Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman.
Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
Cricket fans are buzzing about this Bangladesh vs Pakistan showdown in the Asia Cup, as the winner inches closer to facing India in the title decider.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
