Bangladesh women's cricket captain Nigar Sultana-File photo

DHAKA, Aug 24, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh women's cricket captain Nigar Sultana Joty has set her sights on reaching the final of the Women's T20 Asia Cup, saying the team is determined to overcome their repeated semifinal setbacks and carry that momentum into the Asian Games.

The Asia Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates from August 28 to September 13, with Bangladesh beginning their campaign against Indonesia on August 31 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh will then face Sri Lanka on September 6 and hosts UAE on September 8, with all three matches scheduled to start at 9:30pm Bangladesh time. The semifinals are set for September 10 and 11, followed by the final on September. 13.

"Our main target is to play the final because we played the semifinals quite a few times and get eliminated. This happens again and again, so we want to break this barrier this time," Joty told reporters here today.

Bangladesh won the Asia Cup title in 2018 but failed to progress beyond the semi-finals in the previous edition after losing to Sri Lanka in the group stage and then falling to India in the last four.

Joty believes a strong performance from the top order will be crucial to Bangladesh's chances of reaching the final.

"Our batting as a team has been quite good. Especially if the top order can bat well in this tournament, I guess we will have a good chance of playing the final," she said.
 
The Bangladesh captain also identified winning the group as an important objective, as it could help them avoid a semifinal meeting with India.

"The group-stage game is very important. If we can become champions in the group stage, then we will not have to face India in the semifinals," she said. 

Through Asia Cup, Bangladesh will also look to build momentum for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, which will be held from September 19 to October 4. 

"Our first goal is to go for a medal," Joty said of the Asian Games. "We hope we can bring a medal and if it is gold, it will be even bigger."

Bangladesh won silver in the 2010 Asian Games and bronze in the 2014 edition. Joty believes a strong Asia Cup campaign can have a direct impact on their Asian Games prospects.

"If we can play better in the Asia Cup, it will definitely reflect in the Asian Games," she said.

Joty also stressed the need for greater exposure to multi-day cricket in Bangladesh's domestic competitions, particularly after the women's team received Test status.

"It would be foolish to play an international match unprepared," she said. "If the regular regulations come domestically, I guess we will be prepared."

The captain said multi-day cricket demands significant physical and mental preparation and argued that regular domestic competition in the longer format would provide the necessary foundation.

Joty, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that off-field issues affect the team's performances, saying players remain focused on their cricket.