As Bangladesh gears up for their crucial Super Four encounter against tournament favorites India in the ongoing Asia Cup T20, head coach Phil Simmons believes that any team has the potential to overcome India. Riding on the momentum from their convincing six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh aims to continue their winning streak against the unbeaten Indian side.
Simmons emphasized that the outcome will depend on the performance during the match rather than India’s past achievements. “Every team has the ability to beat India. The game is played on the day—it’s not about what India has done before, but what happens on Wednesday during that three-and-a-half-hour period,” he stated.
The coach encouraged his team to enjoy the excitement of facing the world’s top-ranked T20 team. “Every game has hype, especially those involving India. We’re going to ride that wave, enjoy the moment, and savor the game. That’s our approach—to enjoy ourselves and therefore deliver our best performance,” Simmons commented.
Despite his typically composed demeanor, Simmons stressed the importance of keeping the team focused. “We’re not here just to beat Sri Lanka—we’re here to win the tournament. Until we’re either eliminated or have won it all, I need to keep my emotions in check and ensure everyone in the dressing room stays focused,” he mentioned.
Discussing the Dubai venue, Simmons noted that the quality of the pitch should minimize the impact of the toss on the match outcome, describing the surface as excellent for batting. However, he expressed concerns about the demanding tournament schedule, with matches scheduled against India and Pakistan on consecutive days. “Playing back-to-back T20 matches, or ODIs for that matter, is extremely challenging. It’s not ideal, but we’ve prepared thoroughly and trained hard. I believe our players are fit enough to handle consecutive games. Still, it’s not fair to ask any team to play back-to-back T20s. It’s far more difficult than people realize,” Simmons concluded.
Despite the challenges, Bangladesh remains optimistic and poised to face the upcoming matches with determination and readiness, hoping to rise to the occasion against formidable opponents.