Tamim Iqbal believes Bangladesh can beat India in the Asia Cup T20 final

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has fired up Asia Cup’s final bout by saying that his side is good enough to defeat the strong Indian side. The dashing left-hander feels that his team can lift the players play up to their potential. He feels that his side’s success in ODI cricket against India proves that the Tigers can beat their more accomplished opponents.

Bangladesh had defeated India in the 2007 edition of the 50-over World Cup in Port of Spain. About that win Tamim told the reporters, “I have forgotten about that match but you guys always make me remember. Yes, we have had some memorable matches against India. I believe if we play to our potential, there is every possibility of beating India. We have defeated them in 50-over format last year and there is no reason we can’t repeat that in 20-over format.”

Tamim is also confident that he and his teammates can tackle India’s new pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who bowls with an unusual action. “We have had discussions in our team meeting about Jasprit Bumrah. We have seen footages of his bowling. I have done my homework on him and let’s see how it goes. But it’s not only Bumrah but every Indian player is important for us. But we would like to focus on our strength. If we get a good ball, we will respect the ball and if it needs to be punished, we will do it,” Tamim said.

He agreed that some good knocks in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has increased his confidence but it will not have a bearing on the final match. “Any good knock gives you confidence and my performance in the PSL is no different. But Sunday, it will be a different game and I will have to take fresh guard. But definitely aim will be to translate my good form in T20 leagues into a good performance for national team,” Tamim said.

Tamim feels that even 2 overs can make a lot of difference in the outcome of a T20 game. “It’s not the entire 20 overs that decides the fate of the match. It is those two overs somewhere, which changes the course of the match. It could be two overs, where 30 runs are scored and it becomes the difference. It can also happen in bowling where one loses four wickets in a space of two overs, which can change the game,” he said.