Jaker, who has overseen the side’s resurgence following a disappointing Asia Cup campaign, was full of praise for the team’s collective effort.

Bangladesh need 144 runs to win.

Beside showing lapses in batting temperament, Bangladesh batters in both matches gave Afghanistan repeated openings by burning reviews unnecessarily, exposing the side to avoidable risks.

Soumya Sarkar was named in the Bangladesh T20I squad to face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series in UAE next week, the left-handed batter’s first inclusion in the shortest format since December last year.

Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali offered a straightforward explanation after the 11-run defeat to Pakistan in their final Super Four match in the Asia Cup, saying a batting failure cost them the game on Thursday in Dubai, just like it had done the previous day against India.

Bangladesh captain Liton Das was seen holding an ice bag in his hand as he stepped off the team bus and entered the ground ahead of their final Asia Cup T20 Super Four fixture against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Bangladesh's chase never gained momentum, with Saif's valiant fifty proving insufficient as wickets tumbled around him.

Jaker Ali is likely to keep wickets for Bangladesh instead of skipper Litton Das in their Asia Cup T20 Super Four clash against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. 

Bangladesh's batting effort in T20Is have lagged behind global standards over the years and the lack of power-hitting skills has often been talked about as the biggest reason.

Bangladesh batter Jaker Ali Anik said that he and the team have set their sights on winning the Asia Cup, slated to begin in September in the UAE.

While Litton and Mustafizur bask in family time and freedom, some of their teammates are staying close to the grind.

For now, the home win is a welcome boost.

Bangladesh middle-order batter Jaker Ali said he focused on taking the game deep and waiting for deliveries in his hitting zone, following a match-defining half-century that guided the Tigers to a historic T20I series win over Pakistan.

“We need to learn from our mistakes.” This statement is the staple of Bangladesh players, uttered almost every time they lose a game.

Jaker, who scored 28 and 58 in Sylhet, believes the team's struggles stem from a lack of collective effort with the bat.

Jaker Ali, who made a hard fought 68 off 114 balls and was involved in a record 154-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, talked to a few journalists immediately after the India game where he remained optimistic about his team’s chances of reaching the knockout phase. Here are the excerpts:

Jaker was still jet-lagged, after returning to country from the West Indies, while he spoke to The Daily Star's Abdullah Al Mehdi during an exclusive interview.

Years of dedication and hard work has reaped the fruits of performance for Jaker Ali in the just-concluded West Indies tour where the wicketkeeper-batter impressed with the willow in all three formats, playing a key role in Bangladesh completing a 3-0 sweep over the hosts in the T20I series yesterday.

Benefiting from a huge reprieve when he thought he had been run out on 18, the attacking right-hander took heavy toll of an uninspired Caribbean team.

Bangladesh kept on breaking Afghanistan’s momentum in phases to eventually come out on top and level the three-match ODI series with a 68-run win in the second ODI at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium yesterday.