Published on 10:55 AM, December 15, 2023

U-19 Asia Cup

Bangladesh opt to field against India in semifinal

Bangladesh won the toss and opted to field first in the second semifinal of the ACC U-19 Asia Cup at ICC Academy Ground in Dubai today.

Bangladesh head into the game on the back of a solid show throughout, they remain unbeaten in the group stage winning all three games. Their biggest win in the tournament came against Japan as their bowlers ran through Japan batting unit bowling them out for 99, they eventually chased the total inside 12 overs with nine wickets to spare. 

Ashiqur Rahman has been their in-form batter, he leads the batting chart in the tournament with 242 runs in three games while averaging 242 including two fifties and a century. Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby holds the key in bowling department, picking up eight wickets in three games at an average of 10.12. Bangladesh will look to continue their unbeaten-run so as to reach the finals. 

India, meanwhile, enter the contest on the back of Raj Limbani's heroics against Nepal in the last outing. They not only won the game but did that in style by a thumping 10-wicket win courtesy of a magnificent bowling spell from Limbani who picked up 7/13 in 9.1 overs.. They did lose to Pakistan but managed to defeat the other two teams and qualify for semi-finals. Arshin Kulkani has been their go-to batter as he has so far aggregated 137 runs in three innings at an average of 137 while Adarsh Singh has scored 89 runs in three innings, averaging 44.50.

In the bowling department, it was all about Raj Limbani who holds the key for India, he has overall picked up 10 wickets in three innings at an average of 10.30 which include one seven-fer to his name. India will look to carry the winning run going into the semi-finals.