The Asia Cup has always been a prestigious cricket tournament in the heart of the subcontinent, featuring some of the fiercest rivalries and intense battles on the cricket field. Bangladesh, despite being considered a rising force in international cricket, has had its share of ups and downs in the Asia Cup. In this article, we will revisit three of the most significant and painful defeats that Bangladesh has suffered in the history of the Asia Cup.
(1) 2012 Asia Cup Final – Bangladesh vs. Pakistan
The 2012 Asia Cup was a tournament where Bangladeshi Tigers reached the final for the first time in its history. Hosted in Bangladesh, the final was a momentous occasion for the cricket-loving nation. Bangladeshi Tigers displayed exceptional form throughout the tournament, including a memorable win over India in the group stage.
In the final, they faced Pakistan, a team with a history of success in the Asia Cup. Bangladesh’s hopes were high, but they couldn’t overcome the pressure of the occasion. Pakistan posted a competitive total of 236 runs where Sarfaraz Ahmad (46) was the highest scorer, and Bangladesh’s batting lineup faltered under the pressure.
Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hassan’s fifties didn’t helped their team to reach the target, They were bowled out for just 234 runs, falling agonizingly short by 2 runs. The loss was a heartbreak for the mighty Bangladeshi team, as they missed their first-ever Asia Cup title by a whisker.
(2) 2016 Asia Cup final – Bangladesh vs India
In the highly anticipated 2016 Asia Cup final, the mighty Bangla Tigers suffered a heart-wrenching loss to India. The match, held on march 6, 2016, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, ended in a dramatic fashion. Batting first, Bangladeshi Tigers managed to put up a competitive total of 120 runs, largely thanks to Shabbir Rahman’s resilient 32 who was also later became the man of the series for scoring most runs in the tournament.
However, India’s bowlers, led by the experienced Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah, put up a stellar performance, restricting Bangladesh’s scoring opportunities. In reply, India faced early setbacks but steadily built their innings, with Virat Kohli anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 41 and man of the match Shikhar Dhawan’s 60 India chase down the target in just 13.5 overs. The defeat was a heartbreaking moment for Bangladesh, as they came agonizingly close to their first major cricket tournament victory but fell just short in a thrilling encounter.
(3) 2022 Asia Cup group stage – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
In a closely contested Group B match of the Asia Cup 2022, Bangladesh faced a disappointing loss against Sri Lanka. This do or die match for Bangladesh, held on Sep 01, witnessed an intense battle between the two cricketing nations.
batting first Bangladesh managed to score a challenging 183 against Hasaranga and Theekshana’s top class bowling performances with the help of Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 38 and Afif Hossain’s 39. At the end Mosaddek Hossain’s crucial inning (24 runs in 9 balls) helped Bangladesh to reach the score.
While defending the mighty Bangladeshi Tigers fought really well that they managed to send 8 Sri Lankan players to Pavilion but unfortunately Mehidy Hasan couldn’t save 8 runs in final over and with Asitha’s short but impactful inning turned poured this match into Sri Lanka’s pocket. Except Kushal Mendis (60) and Dasun Shanaka (45) no other Sri Lankan player have crossed 20 run margin.
The loss made the Shakib-al-Hasan led side exit the tournament which made this match the third most heartbreaking loss for Bangladesh in Asia cup history.