Head coach Hathurusingha confident about Bangladesh’s upcoming T20I series against New Zealand

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha feels that their win in Napier in the final ODI will boost the confidence of the team to clinch their first win over the Kiwis in the T20I format in New Zealand.

Bangladesh lost the ODI series against the Blackcaps but created history by registering their first ODI win in 19 attempts in New Zealand.

They will hope for the same in the shortest format, where they have suffered nine defeats out of nine matches against the Kiwis on New Zealand soil.

“We haven’t won a T20 game over here. This was the same as one-day cricket but then we managed to win the last game,” Hathurusingha said, as quoted from the ICC.

The head coach felt that the win, which came at Napier in the final ODI, would be a boost for the visitors as they will play their first T20I in the same venue.

“Certainly, it will help mentally when you have a good win. You always feel good and because you have done something, you want to repeat it again no matter what the format is and that will give us confidence leading into the T20Is,” Hathurusingha added.

Bangladesh have enjoyed a good run in T20Is in 2023. they have won nine out of 11 matches, with series victories over England (3-0), Ireland (2-1) and Afghanistan (2-0).

With the T20 World Cup approaching, they will have a further 11 matches to finalise their combinations, and this series could help them get a good look at their team.

“We have 11 games now and then the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) as well but this is a national team so we are trying to get our combination and give the players the kinds of roles that they will play during the World Cup and so that’s the plan,” Hathurusingha said.

“Whether it’s ideal or not, that’s all we have; we have to get our plans and roles right within that period,” Hathurusingha added.

Bangladesh have a dreadful record in the T20 World Cup, as they have only won nine matches in the history of the tournament. They have never gone past round two of the event and will want to turn that record around.

Bangladesh T20I squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Litton Kumer Das, Rony Talukdar, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Vice Captain), Shak Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.