The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has unveiled a 14-member squad for the upcoming U19 Asia Cup 2023. Led by skipper Azizul Hakim Tamim, the young Tigers will depart for the United Arab Emirates on November 24 to defend their title.

This year’s tournament, the 11th edition of the U19 Asia Cup, is set to commence on November 29 and conclude on December 8. Organized by the UAE, the event will see eight teams compete in two groups.

Before entering the main stage, Bangladesh will play a warm-up match against India on November 26 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The tournament adopts a round-robin format, with teams divided into two groups. Each team will face every other team in its group, and the top two from each group will qualify for the semifinals.

Bangladesh has been placed in Group B alongside defending champions Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. They will kick off their campaign with a high-stakes clash against Afghanistan on November 29.

Group A features arch-rivals India and Pakistan, along with hosts UAE and Japan. A much-anticipated India-Pakistan encounter is scheduled for the second day of the tournament.

Five full ICC members—Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan—qualified directly for the competition. The remaining three teams, Nepal, UAE, and Japan, earned their spots through the 2023 U19 Premier Cup Qualifiers.

Bangladesh famously claimed their maiden U19 Asia Cup title in 2021 by defeating the UAE in a dominant 195-run victory. This year, the team is focused on retaining the crown, carrying the momentum from that historic win. Along with the 14-member main squad, four additional players will travel as standby options for the tournament.

Bangladesh U19 Squad for Asia Cup: Azizul Hakim Tamim (Captain), Zawad Abrar (Vice-Captain), Rifat Beg, Samiun Basir Ratul, Debasish Sarkar Deba, Rizan Hossan, Al Fahad, Iqbal Hasan Emon, Rafi Uzzaman Rafi, Farid Hasan Faysal, Maruf Mridha, Shihab James, Ashrafuzzaman, Saad Islam Razin.

Stand-By Players: Kalam Siddiki Aleen, Shaharial Ajmir, Yeasir Arafat, Sanjid Mozumder.