The Bangladesh national cricket team started their journey on the international stage in the 1986 Asia Cup cricket competition against Pakistan, which they lost by 7 wickets. Team Tigers have participated in thirteen Asian Cup tournaments so far, which includes twelve ODI format events and one Twenty20 format event. Bangladesh had struggled in the early events of the competition. However, their recent performances in the tournament have been impressive. Bangladesh’s performances in the Asia Cup tournament is discussed in this article.
Bangladesh’s performances in the Asia Cup Cricket events (1986- 2018)
The Bangladesh team was considered minnows when they made their first appearance in the 1986 edition. They have played in all editions of the tournament since then and hosted a record five Asia Cup cricket competitions, including three in a row in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Here are Bangladesh's performances in the Asia Cup Cricket tournaments.
1986 Asia Cup
Bangladesh finished third in the group stage in the second edition of the Asia Cup. They lost both of their group stage fixtures by 7 wickets against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, respectively.
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1988 Asia Cup
Bangladesh first hosted an Asia Cup competition in the year 1988. They faced India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in the group stage and lost all the matches.
1990/1991 Asia Cup
Bangladesh’s winless run in the Asia Cup continued in the fourth edition of the tournament. They lost both of their group stage fixtures against India and Sri Lanka, respectively.
1995 Asia Cup
In the 1995 Asia Cup in the UAE, Bangladesh played all three Asian giants: India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. They once again finished the competition winless by losing all three fixtures.
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1997 Asia Cup
Bangladesh remained winless in the 1997 Asia Cup tournament in Sri Lanka.
2000 Asia Cup
The BCB organized the seventh edition of the Asia Cup in Dhaka. They were defeated by Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India in the group stage and knocked out of the tournament.
2004 Asia Cup
Four years later, Sri Lanka hosted the eighth edition of the competition. Bangladesh finally earned their first victory in the competition as they beat Hong Kong by 116 runs in a group stage fixture. However, they lost all of their Super Fours matches and were knocked out of the tournament.
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2008 Asia Cup
Bangladesh found their second victory in the Asia Cup in the ninth edition when they overcame the UAE by 96 runs in a group stage match. However, they couldn’t win a single match in the Super Fours.
2010 Asia Cup
The tenth edition of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka wasn’t a fruitful one for Bangladesh. They lost all of their fixtures against India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
2012 Asia Cup
The 2012 Asia Cup was hosted in Bangladesh. The hosts surprised everyone by beating India and Sri Lanka in the group stage and qualifying for the finals. There was a real opportunity for the Tigers to clinch their maiden Asia Cup trophy. Pakistan broke millions of Bangladesh cricket fans' hearts by winning the final by only 2 runs.
Read Asia Cup 2022 moved from Sri Lanka to UAE: Ganguly
2014 Asia Cup
Bangladesh’s most disastrous Asia Cup was the 2014 edition at home. They lost all of their four group stage matches against India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
2016 Asia Cup
The BCB organized the 2016 edition of the Asia Cup. For the first time, the Asia Cup was played in a T20 format. Bangladesh reached the inaugural Twenty20 format Asia Cup final by beating the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the group phase. However, Bangladesh once again lost in the final, and this time India overcame them by 8 wickets.
2018 Asia Cup
The 14th edition of the Asia Cup took place in the UAE. It was a one-day format tournament. Bangladesh reached the Super Fours by beating Sri Lanka by 91 runs. The Tigers defeated Afghanistan and Pakistan in the next round and earned a place in the championship match. However, Bangladesh fell against India in the final once more, ending their hopes of winning an Asia Cup.
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Bottom Line
Bangladesh's journey in the Asia Cup Cricket Tournament so far was eventful. The country came so close to winning the Asia Cup Cricket at least three times, but they were unable to do it. With the 2022 Asia Cup tournament just around the corner, Team Tigers will have another opportunity to win an Asian Cup competition. However, the Bangladesh T20 national team will have a difficult time making it to the Super Four stage given their recent performances.