Tigers urge U19 team to bring home maiden Asia Cup

Bangladesh cricket team players sent their best wishes to the Under-19 team for making it to the final of the ACC U-19 Asia Cup and spurred them onto bring the title home.

The Tigers are now in New Zealand, set to take on the hosts in three ODIs and three T20s, starting with the first ODI on Sunday in Dunedin.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, the stand-in, led the congratulated the young Tigers and encouraged them to bring home Bangladesh's first Under-19 Asia Cup title.

"Congratulations everyone. You guys played really well," Shanto said in a video posted by the BCB which was recorded inside the team bus in Dunedin.

"The Bangladesh team is in a very good position. There is just one step to go. You guys can now gift Bangladesh cricket with a trophy by playing good cricket. You guys have worked really hard in the last few months. Wish you all the best for the final," he added.

Towhid Hridoy, who was part of Bangladesh's only other final in the U-19 Asia Cup in 2019, where they lost to India, encouraged the current team to make history.

"We have won the World Cup, but have never won the Asia Cup. We have lost in the semifinal and final of the Asia Cup. I hope that this time you will win the Asia Cup final, inshallah."

Mushfiqur Rahim, Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Rishad Hossain, Hasan Mahmud and others also wished the U-19 team in the video.

The Bangladesh U-19 team defeated defending champions India by four wickets in Dubai on Friday to qualify for the final of the competition.

They will now take on the UAE, who defeated Pakistan in the other semifinal by 11 runs, in the final on Friday.