‘Nothing is impossible’ - Sharmin Akhter backs Bangladesh to beat India in Asia Cup semifinal

Asia Cup Semifinal: Bangladesh Set to Face India — And Sharmin Akhter's Not Intimidated

Bangladesh have booked their ticket to the Asia Cup semifinal after a clinical 34-run demolition of UAE in their final group game. Now they turn to India on Sep 10 (tomorrow) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium — a genuine knockout shootout.

Here's the setup: India roll into this unbeaten, top of Group A with three wins from three. Bangladesh finished second in Group B (2/3). No doubt India are the favorites on paper — but my read? Reputation doesn't get you runs on the board.

The real story of this tie might be Sharmin Akhter. She came up with a quickfire 38 off 31 against UAE and clearly wants to carry that momentum. More importantly, she's speaking with the kind of confidence most teams wouldn't dare.

Her message? "If we don't believe we can beat India, we shouldn't dream of the title." And she's got the receipts — Bangladesh lifted the 2018 Asia Cup, and that run included beating India in both the group stage and the final. Same script, she argues, applies today.

Her tactical read is sharp: India's strength is their bat, Bangladesh's is their bowl. If the bowling does its job and the bat chases it up with a better outing, she reckons India are beatable. That's the kind of clear-eyed analysis I respect.

My take? India are the safer bet, but this is exactly the kind of high-stakes clash where confidence and execution trump reputation. Watch Bangladesh's bowling attack — if they fire, this is a live one.

Source: Crictracker