Bangladesh will hit the ground running by playing their maiden Asia Cup fixture against Hong Kong on September 11. Placed in Group G, alongside Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, the Tigers are surrounded by potent opponents, each of whom has at least one T20I victory against them. Bangladesh have traditionally not been at their best in recent Asia Cup editions. Throughout the history of the Asia Cup, despite showing flashes of sporadic brilliance, their performance has been very underwhelming. 

Nevertheless, Bangladesh, led by Litton Kumar Das, arrives at the Asia Cup 2025 with a lot of promise on the back of a dynamic bowling lineup, backed by strategic preparation. If their spinners thrive on UAE conditions and their batting units, especially the middle order, hold firm under pressure, they could potentially flip the script and get mighty close to clinching their maiden Asia Cup title, just the way it managed to do back in 2012. 

As Bangladesh looks to commence its Asia Cup campaign with positivity, we have performed an extensive SWOT analysis of the current squad in an effort to better evaluate its competitive edge. 

See also: Top 3 players to watch from Bangladesh ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Strengths

• Potent Bowling Arsenal: Bangladesh boasts a well-rounded bowling attack. The pace duo of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman brings experience and skill. Taskin, with his hitting-the-deck style of seam bowling, and Mustafizur, with his deceptive slower deliveries, make for a highly versatile pace attack. Spin options are varied and effective. From Mahedi Hasan (off-spin), to Rishad Hossain (leg-spin), and Nasum Ahmed (left-arm orthodox), Bangladesh have a plethora of spin bowlers to work with, as all of them offer different styles of bowling. 
• Emerging Power Players & Experience Blend: Litton Das leads the batting charge with aggression and keeps wickets, providing dual value. He put on a stellar show with the bat in the recently concluded T20I series against the Netherlands, finishing unbeaten in all three games. Towhid Hridoy has risen as a dynamic middle-order threat. The right-handed batter left his mark earlier this year in the Champions Trophy (also played in the UAE) by escorting Bangladesh from a tricky situation, catapulting them post a respectable total against India on the back of his gritty hundred.
• Positive Momentum & Preparation: Confidence remains buoyed after recent series wins and a structured build-up, including a T20I series against the Netherlands and a preparatory training camp.

Weaknesses

• Over-Reliance on Litton Das: There’s a growing dependence on Litton for batting stability. If he fails to deliver, the team often lacks alternative match-winners. 
• Inconsistent Batting and Middle-Order Fragility: The middle order has shown signs of collapses, especially under pressure, with a lack of a proven finisher to seal tight games.
• Inexperience in Multi-team Competitions: The squad includes newer faces and lacks seasoned campaigners accustomed to high-stakes tournaments.

Opportunities

• Historic First Asia Cup Victory: Having never lifted the Asia Cup trophy, Bangladesh enters with a strong incentive to break that barrier. Since they do not bear the burden of the champion's tag, they can express themselves and play with a lot of freedom.
• Youthful Talent Stepping Up: Emerging players like Towhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, and Rishad Hossain can inject excitement and unpredictability.
• Spin Advantage: It is a well-known fact that the spinners get to have a lot of say while bowling on the UAE pitches. As the Bangladeshi spinners have consistently performed well at home, the conditions in the UAE are almost identical to those of Bangladesh, thus making them a potent threat to contend with. 

Threats

• Formidable Group B Draw: Sharing a group with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan ensures a tough path just to reach the Super 4 round, as both teams have registered more T20I wins against Bangladesh in head-to-head clashes. 
• Choking in Pressure Situations: A recurring pattern of underperforming in critical moments raises concern, especially given the high stakes of continental tournaments.

Strongest predicted playing XL: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Litton Das (captain & Wk), Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed