Bangladesh Under-19 clinched their maiden U-19 Asia Cup Sunday by defeating United Arab Emirates U-19 in the final held at Dubai International Stadium.
Bangladesh emerged as the new U-19 champions of Asia in the 10th edition with a convincing 195-run victory.
Bangladesh, having lost the toss, were sent in to bat first and produced a magnificent effort.
Opener Ashiqur Rahman Shibli played a pivotal role, registering a brilliant century and powering Bangladesh to a total of 282/8 in 50 overs.
Shibli, who got dismissed in the second last ball of the innings after scoring 129, notched his second century in this edition and third in his youth career.
Contributions from Chowdhury Mohammad Rizwan and Ariful Islam, who both hit half-centuries, further boosted the total.
Right-arm pacer Ayman Ahmed led the hosts' bowling attack with figure of 4/52.
Defending the total, the Bangladesh bowling unit dominated UAE, dismissing them for a mere 87.
Only two batters in the UAE innings managed to score in double digit as they were bundled out in just 24.5 overs.
Bangladesh bowlers Maruf Mridha and Rohanat Doullah Borson bagged three wickets each, while Iqbal Hossain Emon and Sheikh Parvez Jibon claimed a couple apiece.
Shibli was named the player of the tournament for his outstanding performance, with 378 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 126.
The 18-year old from Faridpur showcased his talent with two hundreds and as many half-centuries during the tournament.
The U-19 Asia Cup title adds another feather to Bangladesh’s hat in age-level cricket, following their triumph in the U-19 World Cup in 2020 in South Africa.
FINAL
Bangladesh U-19 282/8 (Shibli 129, Ayman 4/52) beat UAE U-19 87 in 24.5 overs (Borson 3/26, Maruf 3/29) by 195 runs
