Bangladesh pacer Khaled Ahmed is confident the Tigers can make it to this year's Asia Cup final, even though they're in a tough group.
The eight-team tournament starts on September 9 in the UAE, with the final set for September 28.
Bangladesh landed in Group B with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. Group A, meanwhile, features hosts UAE, India, Pakistan, and Oman.
Bangladesh will start their campaign against Hong Kong on September 11, before facing Sri Lanka on September 13 and Afghanistan on September 16.
“I think we're a team that can make it to the Asia Cup final,” Khaled told reporters on Thursday. “If we can grab two or three wins in our group, we'll definitely make it.”
With stiff competition among Bangladesh's fast bowlers, Khaled admitted it's tough to secure a spot in the playing XI.
“Having competition in the squad is a good thing for any team,” Khaled said. “When you know you have to compete for your spot, it makes you work harder. For me, I've been focusing on improving my fitness so I can keep ahead. That's my motivation. If I fall behind, I'll be way behind—so I'm constantly pushing to stay ahead of the pack.”