 "Bangladesh")
Sri Lanka will be playing Bangladesh in the last group B match of the Asia Cup 2022. Losing against Afghanistan in the first match within 11 overs shattered the Lankan bowling lineup. On the other hand, Bangladesh lost in an average-scoring match against Afghanistan because of Najibullah Zadran's quickfire innings of 43* off 17 deliveries.
Bangladesh's Shakib-al Hasan, Mohammad Naim and Mustafizur Rahman are the final hopes for helping Bangladesh cruise into the super fours. Sri Lanka has been in bad form and would need to overcome its fears against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka would rely heavily on Kusal Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Maheesha Theekshana to score runs and pick wickets. While predictions say that Sri Lanka has 60 per cent winning chances, T20 is the most unpredictable form of cricket.
| Format | SL Won | BAN Won | N/R, Draw or Tie | Matches played |
| One Day Internationals | 40 | 9 | 2 | 51 |
| T20 Internationals | 8 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| Test | 18 | 1 | 5 | 24 |
| Total | 66 | 14 | 7 | 87 |
Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh, Head to Head: Sri Lanka's previous five matches
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| 27/02/2022 | India | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium | India won by 6 wickets |
| 7/6/2022 | Australia | R Premadasa Stadium | Australia won by 10 wickets |
| 8/6/2022 | Australia | R Premadasa Stadium | Australia won by 3 wickets |
| 11/6/2022 | Australia | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium | Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets |
| 27/08/2022 | Afghanistan | Dubai International Cricket Stadium | Afghanistan won by 8 wickets |
Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh, Head to Head: Bangladesh's previous five matches
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| 7/7/2022 | West Indies | Providence Stadium | West Indies won by 5 wickets |
| 30/07/2022 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | Zimbabwe won by 17 runs |
| 31/07/2022 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | Bangladesh won by 7 wickets |
| 2/8/2022 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club | Zimbabwe won by 10 runs |
| 30/08/2022 | Afghanistan | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets |
Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh, Head to Head: Key players to watch
Bhanuka Rajapaksa: Bhanuka Rajapaksa is a strong middle-order batsman who knows how to convert small singles into better scores. In the last match, he scored 38 off 29 balls to create a defendable total.
Maheesh Theekshana: The Sri-Lankan off-spinner has bagged 16 wickets an economy of 6.56 and has played 19 matches.
Mosaddek Hossain: The middle-order batsman from Bangladesh has been in decent form and can bowl off-spin. Today's match would decide his worth as a middle-order player.
Shakib-Al-Hasan: Bangladesh skipper, Shakib-al-Hasan would be a delight to watch against Sri Lanka. His performance as an all-rounder would be the deciding factor in the match.
How will teams qualify for the next stage?
Two teams, India and Afghanistan have already qualified for the super fours, which is the semi-final of the tournament. Today's winner between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will play against Afghanistan in the next match. Also, whoever loses will be knocked out of the tournament.
The top two teams of Group A and Group B will play against each other for winning the trophy. Super fours will have six matches, and the top performers will play in the final of the Asia Cup on September 11, 2022.
(Written by Zuhair Zaidi)
(Written by Zuhair Zaidi)
