Bangladesh Eyes Asia Cup Final as Sharmin Akhter Supta Embraces Challenge Against India
Bangladesh are one win from an Asia Cup final, and Sharmin Akhter Supta has no time for timid dreams.
On the eve of a heavyweight semi-final against India at the Dubai International Stadium, the right-hander drew a clear line in the sand: you don’t talk about lifting the trophy if you’re scared of the biggest name in the room.
“If we don't even believe that we can beat India, then we shouldn't even dream of becoming Asia Cup champions,” she told Cricbuzz, laying bare the mindset inside the Bangladesh dressing room. In her view, every road to the title runs through India – whether in a semi-final or a final – and you either embrace that reality or step aside.
India again, and the weight of 2018
This is not a new storyline for Bangladesh. Their greatest modern-day high in women’s cricket came in 2018, when they stunned India twice in Malaysia – first in the group stage, then in a nerve-jangling final – to clinch the Asia Cup.
Sharmin goes back to that tournament often, and with purpose. “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,” she said. The message is simple: if you can take down the regional powerhouse, the path opens up.
History since then has been harsh. Since that final, the two sides have met 13 times in T20Is. India have won 12. Bangladesh have managed just one victory.
The gulf is real. The belief, Sharmin insists, is too.
“India is undeniably a big name, but if you can beat them, the path to the Asia Cup becomes much clearer,” she said. “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.”
Bowling leads, batting must follow
That contrast in strengths has defined Bangladesh’s campaign. Against UAE, they had to scrap for every run. A slow track, sticky and unresponsive, turned stroke-making into a grind. Bangladesh crawled to 103 for 7, rescued almost single-handedly by a 42-run stand between Sharmin and Nahida Akter.
Sharmin’s 38 off 31 balls, with three fours, gave the innings some shape. Nahida’s unbeaten 16 off 26 was less about flair and more about survival. It was just enough. Bangladesh’s bowlers did the rest, closing out a 34-run win and dragging the team into the last four.
Nahida, speaking to Cricbuzz, didn’t dress up the performance. “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,” she said.
She put the surface under the microscope as well. The wicket, she felt, simply did not allow batters to free their arms. “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.”
That honesty quickly turned to backing for her teammates. “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.”
Mindset for a knockout
For Sharmin, the opponent’s reputation counts for nothing once the first ball is bowled. She has stripped her preparation down to its core.
“As for how I prepare myself, 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,” she said. Cricket, in her eyes, belongs to the day, not the name. “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.”
Her approach to the semi-final is rooted in that same clarity. “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.”
There is also an emotional current running through the squad when India are on the other side. “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,” Sharmin said.
Plan in place, belief on the line
Bangladesh know what they are up against. India’s batting depth is no secret. Nahida, a key part of Bangladesh’s bowling armoury, acknowledged that reality while underlining their own blueprint.
“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 said.
So it comes back to Bangladesh’s bowlers setting the tone and their batters closing the gap between par and what they have actually been producing. On this surface, 120–130 looks like gold dust. To get there, the top order must give the attack something to work with; the attack, in turn, must squeeze every run out of India’s line-up.
Sharmin is not losing sleep over it. She is thinking about plans, not pressure. Execution, not aura.
Bangladesh walked this road once before, in 2018, and finished with the trophy in their hands. The question now is stark and simple: can they summon that same conviction, on one more slow Dubai afternoon, against the same giant they once toppled twice?
