New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty is embracing the challenge of competing in one of the toughest groups at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, insisting her side has the belief and confidence to produce its best-ever performance at the global event.

Bangladesh, appearing in their seventh Women's T20 World Cup, have never progressed beyond the group stage. This year, they have been drawn alongside powerhouses India, Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan, making their route to the knockout rounds particularly demanding.

Nigar is fully aware of the task that awaits her team, yet the Bangladesh skipper believes her side has developed the mindset needed to challenge more established opponents.

“We have been drawn into a really tough group, with teams that have regularly made finals and semi-finals. But we believe that we can win any game we go into, and we are hoping to have our best-ever tournament,” she wrote in her column for ICC.

Although Bangladesh's recent results haven't always been favourable, Nigarhighlighted some promising individual performances that have increased confidence heading into the World Cup.

“Shorna Akter and Sharmin Akhter batted well in the most recent series against Sri Lanka, while Sultana Khatun produced career-best figures in the final match, which we lost narrowly,” Nigar said.

Bangladesh is currently taking part in a tri-series in Scotland with the hosts and the Netherlands. These matches provide important preparation for the upcoming tournament in England. Nigarbelieves the games are helping the team adjust to new conditions.

“We are now into a tri-series against Scotland and the Netherlands in Edinburgh, which will also help us adjust to the conditions,” she said.

The adjustment period could prove crucial, given that Bangladesh have never played in England before.

“This World Cup will be the first time we have ever played in England, so it will take some time to get used to things, but we are excited to see what we can do,” she added.

One of Bangladesh's key fixtures will come against World Cup debutants, the Netherlands. Nigar feels her side can draw confidence from previous encounters between the two teams.

“We’ll also face the Netherlands, who are making their debut, and we can take confidence from beating them in the (ICC Women's T20 World Cup) Qualifier. It was really important for us to win every game of that tournament, just as much as earning our place in the World Cup,” Nigar noted.

Beyond results, the captain is particularly encouraged by the development of the next generation of players within the squad, as she said, “What pleases me the most is seeing the growth in our younger players and how they have become confident, and the team spirit we are building.”

Nigar pointed to Bangladesh's breakthrough victory over Scotland at the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup as evidence of the team's progress, saying, “The growth in the team was really clear in 2024 when we got our first win at a T20 World Cup for 10 years. Beating Scotland was such an important moment in our team’s history, and we are ready to build on that as we prepare for this year’s campaign.”

The tournament also holds personal significance for the Bangladesh skipper, who is preparing for her sixth appearance on the biggest stage in women's T20 cricket.

“It is my sixth World Cup, and I still have happy memories of playing my first tournament back in 2016 at just 18 years old. I did not think then that I would be captaining the side for the third time at a T20 World Cup,” she mentioned.

--IANS

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