BAN vs SL 2nd Match - Group B Prediction

BAN vs SL Team Previews

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is no longer a side that can be considered as minnows. They have gotten increasingly better over the last few years and have defeated much stronger teams like England and India in recent months. They however failed to make it past the group stage during the last Asia Cup, albeit it was the T20 format.

Shakib Al-Hasan takes over the reins of the team from Tamim Iqbal, and he will be shepherding the ODI team for the first time since 2017. He will be the key player for the team as he remains a premier all-rounder in the ODI format. Tanzid Ahmed is likely to make a debut in this tournament as he replaces an injured Tamim Iqbal.

He will have the support of experienced campaigners including Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das, and Mushfiqur Rahim. Shamim Hossain, Mohammad Naim, and Towhid Hridoy have all been quite impressive in white-ball cricket during recent months and have found a place in the squad.

Bangladesh's batting is not dynamic and can struggle in high-scoring venues. In conditions where the ball keeps a bit low, they are in their element.

Coming to the bowling, Mahedi Hasan Miraz will beef up the spin department and also add depth to the batting. The pace attack consists of Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Hasan Mahmud. This is the area where Bangladesh has made the most improvement. 

It has more wicket-taking options through the middle and is not dependent on just containing the batters. 

The last-minute injury to Ebadot Hossain has thrown a spanner in the works for Bangladesh and he has been replaced by uncapped Tanzim Hasan. 

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka hasn’t been in the best of form, especially in the 50-over format. They had to face the ignominy of going through the Qualifiers to play the upcoming ODI World Cup. However, the team came out with flying colors in the end, remaining undefeated throughout the tournament and making it to the marquee event.

One of the biggest concerns for Sri Lanka is that a plethora of its players have been plagued by injuries. With the ODI World Cup coming up soon, the selectors have had to take some tough calls and leave out some key players from the Asia Cup squad.

Some of these players include Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, and Dushmantha Chameera. Thankfully, the batting line-up hasn’t suffered much and we have the expected names featuring in the squad.

Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, and Sadeera Samarawickrama will feature in the top and middle order, while all-rounders Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, and Charith Asalanka add depth to the batting.

Coming to the seam attack, Matheesha Pathirana and Kasun Rajitha are likely to start the proceedings with the new ball, while Maheesh Theekshana will head the spin department along with Dunith Wellalage and Dushan Hemantha. 

Sri Lanka is the home team of Asia Cup 2023 and that is certainly an advantage. Its rivalry against Bangladesh has been fierce in recent years and there will be no room for complacenecy in this match. We think the Sri Lankan batting lineup is pretty well-suited to score runs in familiar conditions but one of the top order batters will have to play a massive inning. 

The bowling is the weak link and looks quite undercooked.