Bangladesh captain Liton Das wants his team to reach the Asian Games cricket final and compete for gold, but he is also thinking beyond the tournament.
Cricket will return to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and Liton sees Bangladesh’s Asian Games campaign as part of a bigger opportunity for the sport.
Bangladesh are sending their national team to the Asian Games this time, rather than a second-string side. It will also be Liton’s first appearance at the multi-sport event.
“It is a big thing to play for the national team, and playing at a place like this is also a big thing,” Liton told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. “You may win a trophy whenever you win elsewhere, but here there is a chance to win gold. It is a big dream. I think all the cricketers are excited.”
Bangladesh have traditionally looked to cricket for medals at the Asian Games. The women’s team, however, lost to Pakistan in the bronze-medal match on Tuesday, leaving the men’s team as the country’s main hope of a cricket medal.
“There is a lot of interest among our players because this tournament does not come around every time,” Liton said. “You get franchise leagues or national-team tournaments every year. But this is a rare event. Every player is excited, and we will try to fulfil the big dream.”
For now, Liton said, the target is simply to get to the final.
“We are looking at how we can reach the final,” he said. “Because if you play the final, you have a chance to win gold. In cricket, we always say, match by match. We will go match by match.”
The 2028 Olympics will feature six men's cricket teams. The highest-ranked team from each of Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe will qualify directly. The United States, as host, will also qualify if it is among the top 15 teams in the ICC T20 rankings. The remaining place will be decided through a qualifying tournament.
Bangladesh will compete with New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for a place in the Olympics.
Liton also hopes success in cricket can help raise the profile of other sports in Bangladesh.
“Being able to do something for the country is a big thing,” he said. “And if it is through sport, why not? We are different in cricket. But if something can improve other sports through us, or if opportunities come for other sports, we will try.”