SL vs BAN 2nd Super Four Match Prediction

SL vs BAN Team Previews

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has been in sensational form in the ODIs and has won each of their last 12 matches. As they enter an important phase in the tournament, the hosts will look to extend the winning momentum.

Despite missing some of its key players due to injuries, the home team has shown remarkable resilience and snatched victories even in tricky situations. Like in the match against Afghanistan earlier this week, Sri Lanka held their nerve under pressure and clinched a thrilling win, while also booking a spot in the Super 4s.

Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka managed to get some runs under their belt in the last match as they put up a 63-run partnership for the opening wicket. With Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, and Sadeera Samarawickrama all doing well in this tournament, Sri Lanka will look to post a big total in case they bat first.

Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva haven’t been that consistent lower down the order and that will be something that the team needs to work on. Kasun Rajitha and Matheesha Pathirana have done an excellent job with the new ball.

Pathirana in particular is a genuine wicket-taker but needs to be a bit more disciplined with his line. Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage have a knack for picking up wickets at crucial junctures and will be the key bowlers during the middle overs. 

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been rather inconsistent in this tournament. After losing to Sri Lanka during the group stage, the team staged a massive comeback against Afghanistan to become the first team from Group B to book a place in the Super 4s. However, they were completely outplayed by Pakistan on Wednesday.

The injury to Najmul Hossain Shanto has been a big blow to the batting unit. Litton Das, who was brought in as a replacement, couldn’t do much in terms of runs scored, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who continued to open the batting after a stunning century against Afghanistan, was out for a golden duck.

Towhid Hridoy too has been unable to replicate his form from the BPL in the international arena. This will add pressure on Shakib Al-Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to score runs. Both of them had a crucial partnership against Pakistan and that was the only real part of the game when Bangladesh looked competitive. 

Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam have done an excellent job with the ball, picking up 11 wickets between them.

However, the bowling during the middle overs has been far from ideal as Mehidy Hasan and Shakib haven’t been able to build the necessary pressure on the opposition's batting. Bangladesh has struggled against Sri Lanka in the past and although there have been some close matches, it definitely looks as if Bangladesh is the clear underdog here.