"We must be a special team": Pakistan's captain Salman Agha praises team effort after win over Bangladesh

Dubai [UAE], September 26 (ANI): After clinical performances that propelled Pakistan into the final of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, culminating in an 11-run victory over Bangladesh in their final Super Four clash on Thursday, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha believed that winning such games proves they are a special team.

With this win, Pakistan concluded their Super Four campaign with two wins and one loss, placing them second on the points table.

India, who sit atop the standings with two wins, will take on Sri Lanka in their final Super Four match on Friday, aiming to remain undefeated.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, finished third with one win and two losses, giving them two points. Sri Lanka has been eliminated, having lost both their games, and is in the bottom spot.

Pakistan will face its arch-rivals, India, for the first time in the history of the tournament, across both ODI and T20I editions.

"If you win these kinds of games, then we must be a special team. Everyone played really well. There is some room for improvement in batting. But we will work on that. Shaheen is a special player. He does what the team needs from him. Very happy for him. We were 15 runs short. The way we bowled up front, we will create pressure. We bowled well with the new ball. More often than not, you will win games if you bowl like this. We have been fielding well. Shane has been working hard for us. We have been having extra sessions. Mike Hesson said if you can't field, you won't be on the team. We are a good enough team to beat anyone. We will come back on Sunday and try and do that," Salman Ali Agha said after the match.

Player of the Match, Shaheen Afridi, attributed his success to hard work on his slower ball, which paid off during the game. In a heartfelt gesture, Afridi dedicated his award to his wife and son.

"I will dedicate this award to my beautiful wife and son, who are here. You need early breakthroughs. Those three overs made the difference in the power play. I was working on the slower ball. It came out well in the main time. The team decided I would go with Nawaz and Faheem behind me. I got two sixes, and that gave us the momentum," Shaheen Afridi said.

During a chase of 136 runs, Bangladesh lost three wickets for 44 runs within the powerplay itself, with Shaheen (3/17 in four overs) proving to be destructive in his pairing with Rauf (3/33 in four overs).

Bangladesh's stand in captain Jaker Ali attributed the team's defeat to their batting performance, acknowledging it as the decisive factor in the loss.

As a batting unit, last two games, we lost it. We did good work with the bowling unit. Yesterday, the batting cost us the game. I tried to take those chances. I tried to adjust to the captaincy. Our bowlers, Rishad and then Saif, with the bat. Unfortunately, we didn't support Saif much," Jaker Ali said.

Shamim Hossain (30 in 25 balls, with two sixes) tried to hold the innings together, but a relentless Pakistan reduced them to 124/9, with Rishad Hossain (16* in 11 balls, with two fours and a six) and Mustafizur Rahman (6* in four balls, with a four) failing to get their team to the finishing line.

This match also marked the lowest total defended by a team in Dubai in T20Is between full-member sides. The previous record was New Zealand's 144 against Pakistan in 2018. (ANI)

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