NZ vs BAN: Bangladesh Head Coach Upbeat After ODI Victory, Says Ready To 'Repeat' Success In T20I Series Against New Zealand

NZ vs BAN: When Bangladesh arrived in New Zealand last year, no one expected them to compete, let one clinch their first Test win. Bangladesh once again showed their mettle when they clinched their historic maiden ODI victory in New Zealand after a streak of 18 consecutive defeats.

Moving on to the shortest format of the game, Bangladesh will be eyeing to win the upcoming T20I series against the hosts with renewed confidence. Despite their dismal T20I record in New Zealand, where they have lost all nine matches so far, the recent ODI triumph has instilled optimism in the Bangladesh camp.

Chandika Hathurusingha, the head coach of the Bangladesh team, expressed his hopefulness ahead of the first T20I in Napier.

"Certainly it will help mentally when you have a good win; always you feel good because you have done something you want to repeat again, no matter what the format is, and that will give us confidence leading into the T20Is," Hathurusingha told media ahead of the T20I series.

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Bangladesh's unbeaten streak in T20Is, having won all three series played in 2023 against England, Ireland, and Afghanistan at home, adds to their optimism as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

With 11 T20Is scheduled before the marquee event, including the series against New Zealand and matches against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, Bangladesh will be aiming to fine-tune their strategy and player roles.

"Lot of the plans we want to play, and at the same time, we want to keep one eye on the T20 World Cup, so we are trying to get our plans right for that," Hathurusingha explained.

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The national team's schedule also includes the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), providing additional opportunities for players to refine their skills.

Hathurusingha acknowledged the standout performance of Soumya Sarkar, who scored a century in the second ODI and picked up three wickets in the third game.

"Very happy with the way he (Soumya) performed, and I always knew that he is capable of playing. He has shown before when I was here, and we all say that class is permanent," the coach praised.

Bangladesh will be playing three T20 matches in New Zealand with the first match scheduled for December 27.