'We don’t focus on individual scores'

Bangladesh Under-19 captain Azizul Hakim Tamim praised his team’s strong start as they secured a thrilling three-wicket win over Afghanistan Under-19 in their ACC Asia Cup 2025 opener at the ICC Academy Ground. 

He highlighted the team’s solid batting performance, particularly by Zawad Abrar and Rifat Beg, while acknowledging the need to improve the bowling for upcoming matches against stronger opponents.

"First of all, we are starting a bit well today, which is helping us a lot. But you see, chasing a big total of 284, I believe our batting is very strong, and that is being reflected. The way Zawad and Rifat are playing today is really good. On the bowling side, I feel that I and the others still need to improve a bit. Because if you see the upcoming matches, to win against the big teams, they will not give anything easily. So we need to pay attention to these aspects. Insha’Allah, Alhamdulillah, we are doing well," Tamim said.

Tamim also emphasised that the team’s focus remains on winning matches rather than individual scores.

"We play only to make the Bangladesh team win. Maybe we missed a 100 or a 50, but we don’t think about that; our thinking is to win the match. So we don’t focus on individual scores, we just think about how the team can win," he concluded.

The victory provides confidence as the side prepares to face Nepal Under-19 in their next fixture.