What if Bangladesh won the 2012 Asia Cup final?

Bangladesh need nine runs to win off six balls to win the Asia Cup final in 2012.

In a packed stadium in Mirpur, the last over is to be bowled by the inexperienced Aizaz Cheema with the reliable Mahmudullah Riyad on strike.

However, what happens in the next six deliveries are 1, 1lb, 0, 3, W, and 1lb as Pakistan win the final and the Asia Cup.

There were tears rolling down the cheeks of then ODI captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan while most of the stadium went through a similar feeling.

But what if Mahmudullah, a player that has managed to win tight games for Bangladesh before, finished the job off here?

What if, instead of tears of sorrow, there were tears of jubilation?

Bangladesh would win more Asia Cups

After this final, Bangladesh became regular finalists in the Asia Cups that followed but lost every time in the final.

They reached the final in 2016 and in 2018 but failed to win in the final and on both occasions, it was against India.

The last final in Dubai was yet another close encounter with India winning in the final over with just three wickets in hand.

The team is yet to win a single Asia Cup final and in fact, the only win that came for the Tigers in a multi-team tournament was in 2019 where they won the tri-nation series involving West Indies and Ireland.

Bangladesh win more close games 

This side also went on to lose the Nidahas trophy final in 2018 in what was yet another close encounter against India.

Before that, they lost another close match, also against India in the T20 World Cup in 2016.

And in both T20I matches, Bangladesh lost from very winnable positions. 

If we look back to 2009, Bangladesh lost another close match in a tri-nation final, against Sri Lanka in Mirpur.

That could have been the beginning of this hoodoo where Bangladesh lose finals. 

Till this day this remains a massive mental block for the Tigers and one they will look to overcome in the future for the sake of themselves and their fans.