Bangladesh will face off against Sri Lanka in the first ODI match of Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh. The two teams are more or less evenly as of now based on form. They will both want to win this game and prove a point. It will be interesting to see which team takes the lead in this three-match series.
Bangladesh:
The biggest addition to the Bangladesh squad is veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who returns to the 15-member squad after missing the tour of New Zealand on paternity leave. The rest of the team looks more or less the same. While an inexperienced Sri Lankan squad stands before them, Tamim Iqbal and the company will still have to put up a quality display and perform dominantly. By the looks of it, this squad is everything Bangladesh will want to carry two years later in the ICC World Cup.
Bangladesh squad: Tamim Iqbal (c), Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Shoriful Islam
The Sri Lankan team has played quite a bit of Test cricket. First against West Indies and then Bangladesh, as they walk into the white ball series at the Sher e Bangla. The team comes with an inexperienced squad as some regular faces miss out. Sri Lankan pacer Isuru Udana that his team’s new-look ODI squad can express themselves freely against Bangladesh as they don’t carry the burden of expectation.
Kusal Perera will lead the team as Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana and Akila Dananjaya form the core of the team.
Sri Lanka squad: Kusal Perera (c), Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Dasun Shanaka, Ashen Bandara, Wanindu Hasaranga, Isuru Udana, Akila Dananjaya, Niroshan Dickwella, Dushmantha Chameera, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Lakshan Sandakan, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Shiran Fernando
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have faced each other 48 times in ODI matches. Lanka has won 39 matches while Bangladesh has won on seven occasions.
PREDICTION:
Dhaka presents and humid condition to the players. It will be a challenge to stay active throughout the 100 overs. However, Bangladesh, with the home advantage and experience in their squad, must win this game. For Lanka to score the first advantage of this series, one of the new guns will have to step up.
Date and Time:
May 23, 202, 12:30 PM IST
Venue:
Sher e Bangla Stadium, Dhaka
