Can buoyant Bangladesh rewrite history again? The Tigers have scripted new chapters against two mighty neighbours -- Pakistan and India -- in the last two series and now the perception is there that they stand before their biggest challenge, as they enter the battlefield of Mirpur against formidable South Africa today for the first T20I of the two-match series.

It would have been better had the three-match ODI series kicked things off because, as everyone knows, the Tigers' gung-ho attitude in the 50-over version has brought them success. And who doesn't know how crucial it is to make a good start to a series, especially when the home side is banking on the confidence that has come through their recent ODI successes?

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and company however should not focus on anything other than the challenge in front of them, in the form of a team which has every weapon in their arsenal. When a team sets its target to become one of the major forces in world cricket, they must overcome every challenge. It's the fearless approach which has taken Bangladesh cricket to new heights in recent times and the positive brand of cricket they have displayed since the World Cup can only help them in their mission to etch a new chapter in the history books against South Africa.

Except for the 2007 World Cup victory against the Proteas, Bangladesh have hardly been able to compete against them in any format of the game. And when the sides last met in the 2011 World Cup, the Tigers embraced a humiliating defeat in their own den, being bowled out for just 78 runs.

But under Mashrafe's leadership and Chandika Hathurusingha's guidance, the Tigers have given the world cricket fraternity the impression that this side has the ability to soar into a new horizon and leave the past in the past. And they can enhance their reputation by putting on brave faces against South Africa during the series, which comprises two T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

Mashrafe, being his usual bold self at the pre-match press conference yesterday, said that he gave less importance to T20 cricket, but mentioned that his team could set the tone for the entire series by playing good cricket in the T20Is.

The Tigers should ascertain that their batting is better than the last series from the start, though the captain reiterated his mantra of 'bowlers win matches'.

Bangladesh's first-ever series win against India was one of their biggest achievements, but it was understandably mentioned from the Bangladesh camp that their performances in that series were not as good as the showing against Pakistan. And it was attributed to the lack of fire in their batting. A common problem was that many had gotten starts but could not move forward.

In another aspect, the new playing conditions for limited-overs cricket will be enforced from today. While Bangladesh have expressed happiness with the changes, it's now time to see how they adjust to those and how they capitalise on their confidence.