The Asia Cup 2018 comes to an end on Friday, 28th September with the reigning champions India, and Bangladesh locking horns with each other in the finals. Will this be a repeat of 2016 Asia Cup final? India has been in scintillating form in the tournament which has seen them defeating Hong Kong, and Pakistan twice en route to the finals. The only hindrance, in an otherwise excellent campaign, was the tied match against dark horses Afghanistan in which most of the Indian stars were rested. India vs Afghanistan, Super Four, Asia Cup 2018 Match Tied: List of All ODI Matches India Played That Ended in a TIE!

On the other hand, Bangladesh has seen a roller-coaster campaign in the Asia Cup 2018. They began the tournament remarkably by defeating giants Sri Lanka, but then lost back-to-back matches against Afghanistan and India.

Nonetheless, they kept their prime form for the last game against Pakistan in what was a virtual semi-final. It is not a surprise to see Mashrafe Mortaza’s men in the finals ahead of rivals Pakistan and Srilanka as they have played some good cricket over the last couple of years. Pakistan vs Bangladesh Highlights Asia Cup 2018: BAN Win by 37 Runs, Qualify for Final.

India vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head Record:

India and Bangladesh have played in 34 One day International matches with the men in Blue emerging victorious 28 times. Bangladesh has defeated India only five times. The first match between two sides was in the Asia Cup 1988. India vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head Record in Asia Cup: Wins, Losses, and Other Statistics Ahead of Asia Cup 2018 Final.

India Team News:

Indian team were surprisingly struggling in their first match against minnows Hong Kong but overcame their opponents, eventually. But, it has been a smooth ride for Rohit Sharma’s men after their first match. They hammered their traditional rivals Pakistan two times in the tournament, and also saw off Bangladesh by seven wickets with more than 13 overs to spare. But, the Men in Blue would not want to take the Bangladeshis lightly especially after their heroics against Pakistan. Asia Cup 2018 Leading Run-Scorers: Mushfiqur Rahim Second on the List of Batsmen With Most Runs in Asian Cricket Tournament.

Indian batting is in good form with openers Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan scoring runs freely. The middle order comprising of Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik has also chipped in with runs.

The only concern for India would be the form of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has struggled for runs. But we know that the hard-hitting batsman tends to come good in the latter stages of the tournament.

The bowling attack has been excellent with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah leading from the front. Part-time spinner Kedar Jadhav and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have supported Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal well.  India vs Afghanistan Highlights Asia Cup 2018: Match Ends in a Tie.

Bangladesh Team News:

The top order of Bangladesh team has been in tottering form, and with Tamim Iqbal along with Shakib Al Hasan going out with injuries, it remains to be seen how will the side cope against the fierce Indian bowling attack. They have been heavily relying on the middle order that comprises of Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah and Imrul Kayes who have played crucial knocks in the tournament.  Pakistan vs Bangladesh Asia Cup 2018: Mushfiqur Rahim's 99 Powers Bangladesh to 239 in Knockout Match.

The strength of Bangladesh is their bowling attack, but Shakib’s injury is a big blow to the side. Despite this captain, Mashrafe Mortaza along with Mustafizur Rahman have all the resources to trouble in form Indian batsmen. Mehidy Hasan has looked great so far in the tournament, and if Mahmudullah and Rubel Hossain's bowling also comes to the party, we will have a good contest on our hands. India vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup 2018 Final: All-Rounder Shakib Al Hasan Returns Home As Injury Aggravates!

Watch India vs Bangladesh Asia Cup 2018 Final Match Preview:

Everybody had expected India to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2018 finals, of what would have been their third encounter in the tournament. But, Bangladesh, against all the odds, pulled off their biggest coup by overcoming Pakistan.

India would certainly won't be taking Bangladesh lightly as they have all the resources to upset them. The match has all the attributes to be a nail-biter. Stay tuned with us for all the latest updates about Asia Cup 2018!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 27, 2018 02:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).