But captain Mushfiqur Rahim is not to underestimate them. This could be the make or break fixture for both sides.
Both sides will face off for the first time in an international outing at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
The Tigers’ skipper had plenty of respect for Nepal, who started their World T20 campaign with an easy win against Hong Kong.
“They are slowly progressing. In T20 cricket, teams that will play well for three hours will win. We are taking the match seriously. Nepal played very well in the warm-up matches. Yesterday (Sunday) they beat Hong Kong easily,” Mushfiq said in a press conference on Monday.
However, Mushfiq and Co. only have victory on their mind. He said, “We are not ready to pull any punches. Every match is vital for us. Whatever the difference, we want to win at any cost.”
Bangladesh hold the aces with more experience and home advantage – they know the pitches inside out.
But they arrived at Chittagong on Sunday night. On the other hand, Nepal have been in the city since last Tuesday. The Nepalese have grown quite accustomed to the conditions of the coastal region, according to Mushfiq.
“They know more about the conditions of Chittagong than us now, regardless of it being our home ground. They’ve played a number of matches here. I hope we can adjust to the conditions fast.”
Mushfiq is bent on bringing success for the Tigers in the remaining matches, who finally ended their string of losses on Sunday with a convincing nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan.
“We have won three straight matches including Afghanistan’s. We are in form now. Our main target is to hold on to this rhythm. Because in T20, rhythm is the most crucial matter.”
Bangladesh have watched some of Nepal’s matches from the World T20 Qualifier. The hosts have also watched their warm-up match right from the ground at Fatullah. As a result, Nepal no longer are unfamiliar to the Tigers’ skipper.
“Like every other match, we are doing homework for this match. How many batsmen they have in their team, how many bowlers or left-arm spinners they have – are all known to us. That’s how we strategised. I hope we will be able to play according to plans, like we did in the last match.”
Spin is the main arsenal for this event, with the Mirpur pitch already turning square for the first game and Chittagong won’t be much different.
Bangladesh will be enthused by the way Anamul Haque batted in the first match and showed some innovative thinking by promoting Shakib Al Hasan up the order to finish off the job. That kind of adaptability will be key, not only for this phase of the tournament, but also later on.
Despite both sides winning one game already, expectations on both teams will be high. Nepal are no fools to pressure situations, though, and during last year’s qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates, they finished third after losing in the semi-finals to Afghanistan.
Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan showed that he will be one of the key assets in the tournament with three wickets and finishing off the innings with the bat. When he does well, Bangladesh generally do well.
Nepal’s captain Paras Khadka took just one game to capture the hearts of cricket fans. During last year’s qualifiers he scored 232 runs in ten games and picked up 11 wickets to boot.
He was the second-highest run scorer for Nepal in the tournament and his influence and experience will be key for his side’s charge.
