Azizul Hakim Tamim led the Bangladesh Under-19 team to the ACC U-19 Asia Cup title in the UAE on Sunday by defeating India in a heated final where tempers flared and stern words were exchanged between both teams.

The victorious Young Tigers returned home with the trophy on Monday and were received with bouquets of flowers at the airport by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials.

Captain Tamim, who led from the front throughout the campaign and finished as the tournament's second-highest run-getter with 240 runs, spoke with the media upon arrival and said it was necessary for his players to show aggression against India in the final.

"They [Indian players] sledged, and we gave it back … In order to win, you must show some aggression, do some sledging," Tamim told reporters on Monday night.

Read more

Triumphant Young Tigers return home

Before defeating India by 59 runs in the final, Bangladesh faced Pakistan in the semifinal, who at that point of the tournament were undefeated whereas the Young Tigers had lost their last group-stage match against Sri Lanka.

But Bangladesh defeated Pakistan comfortably, winning by seven wickets, in which Tamim played his part with a blazing 61 not out off just 42 balls.

Things got a bit heated in the game against Pakistan as well, and Tamim shared one such incident.

"I had missed a free hit. A Pakistani fielder asked me, 'Did you even see the ball?' After that, I hit a six and then asked him, 'Did you see the ball this time?'."

In the final, thousands of Bangladeshi expats were in the stands cheering the players and a chorus of 'Allahu Akbar' could be heard from the gallery as the Muslim members of the Bangladesh team were in a sajdah after clinching the victory.

Tamim also commented on that, saying, "When they [fans] were saying it, as a Muslim, I really liked it. They supported us players a lot, they were in the stands from the morning. Alhamdulillah, it's a great feeling."

The Young Tigers captain was hopeful of taking confidence from the Asia Cup triumph into the next ICC U-19 World Cup, which will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2026.

"Of course, we have gained confidence from winning the Asia Cup. Beating teams like India and Pakistan also makes you feel confident. We will try to hold on to this confidence. We have a few series coming up and then the World Cup. We will try to perform well."