Following their defeat by India, Shakib Al Hasan said, “As a batting unit, we are short of runs.”

Shakib Al Hasan, a veteran all-rounder, voiced his sadness after Bangladesh lost to India by 50 runs, leaving the Tigers on the verge of elimination from the T20 World Cup in 2024. Shakib bemoaned the lack of confidence and effort displayed by the players after the game.

Bangladesh faced a tough Indian team on Saturday. India scored an impressive 196/5, led by Hardik Pandya’s undefeated half-century. Bangladesh, in response, was unable to muster more than 146/8, losing by 50 runs.

“As a batting team, we lack runs. Our last game we made 140, and today we made 146. Given that we had a target in front of us today, we ought to have performed better. We were not even able to demonstrate to others that we were attempting [to pursue the goal] today. The confidence wasn’t there, in my opinion.

Throughout the World Cup, we have been lacking in this area, Shakib Al Hasan told reporters.

Bangladesh lost to the USA in a series before qualifying for the World Cup, but they started out well, defeating the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. A close defeat to South Africa, though, suggested difficulties ahead.

When playing against teams like Australia and India, you have to be at your best: Shakib, 37, drew attention to the team’s inconsistent play, pointing out that they were unable to sustain a minimum level of performance in order to apply pressure. He said that although they can score 175–180 runs, they haven’t been very effective as a batting team. He highlighted that they must play at their highest level while facing formidable teams like Australia and India, highlighting a deficiency in strength and technique in their previous outings.

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“When playing against teams like Australia and India, you have to be at your best. I believe that we were weak and unskilled. The fundamentals couldn’t be performed for extended periods of time to build pressure. I don’t think we have shown ourselves as a batting unit this World Cup. We are able to score significant runs. In the last two games, which were both played on decent wickets, we fell considerably short of par scores of 175–185,” he continued.

With one more Super 8 match remaining against Afghanistan, Bangladesh’s chances of advancing to the semi-finals suddenly appear remote despite their best efforts.