Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: Sri Lanka Have a Slightly Stronger Side

• Sri Lanka lead the head to head record against Bangladesh in T20 cricket with 8 wins to 4
• Bangladesh are undercooked and are without Liton Das
• Sri Lanka have a stronger batting line-up and a potent spin duo in Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Odds

Odds taken from bet365

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Pick

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have competed against each other on 12 occasions in T20 cricket. Sri Lanka have won eight of those matches while Bangladesh have claimed four. Sri Lanka have a slightly stronger side on paper and should win this Group B clash on Thursday.

Sri Lanka to win (-250)

Pick made on 08/31/2022 at 06:21 PM EST

Sri Lanka: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana

Bangladesh: Mohammad Naim, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Afif Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Prediction

Sri Lanka Slight Favourites to Make It to Super 4

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are set to lock horns in what would be a virtual knockout for a place in the Super 4. The Group B fixture will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Sri Lanka were stunned in their first match, suffering a heavy eight-wicket defeat against Afghanistan. They were bamboozled by the new ball movement from Afghan seamers and later by spinners, getting bowled out for 105. Their bowlers were then taken to cleaners as they conceded 83 in the powerplay and lost with 9.5 overs to spare.

Bangladesh were also beaten by Afghanistan in their first game, by seven wickets at a treacherous Sharjah. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan ran through their batting unit before Mosaddek Hossain added 48 off 31 to take the total to 127/7. Bangladesh were in a strong position while defending the target but Najibullah came and destroyed them with a 43* off 17.

Dubai is a venue where batting second is a significant advantage and the team winning the toss could go on to win the game. But considering Sri Lanka have better resources, they will head into the game as slight favourites.

Team News

Sri Lanka are without their frontline pace bowling option in this tournament with Dushmantha Chameera missing out due to injuries. They went with an inexperienced pair of Dilshan Madushanka and Matheesha Pathirana in the opening game. Chamika Karunaratne was also hammered and needs to tighten up. In the batting unit, Bhanuka Rajapaksa was excellent, coming on the back of some IPL experience. The top order will need to put up a better performance.

Bangladesh are without their best batter Liton Das for this tournament. The batting unit looks weak and highly dependent on Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, both of whom haven’t played much T20 cricket in recent times. Mosaddek Hossain was impressive with both bat and ball in the last game. The pace bowling unit comprises Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin. They were taken apart and will need to get their act together.

Key Players

Wanindu Hasaranga: The leg-spinner has become one of the bankable T20 stars in a quick time. In Sri Lanka’s opening game against Afghanistan, he picked 1 for 19 in three overs when the rest of the attack was hammered all around the park. Hasaranga has a superb record in international T20s, having claimed 63 scalps in just 39 matches at 6.60 rpo, including two four-fors. He can contribute with the bat, having scored over 1000 runs in all T20s with four fifties.

Shakib Al Hasan: The all-rounder has been one of the key players for Bangladesh over the years across formats. Shakib adds immense value to the side with two skill sets. He was superb with the ball in his 100th game, conceding just 13 in four overs and picking a wicket. His numbers in T20 internationals look pretty good, especially with the ball. He has taken 122 wickets at an economy of 6.68, including six instances of four or more wickets. Shakib has also scored over 2000 runs at an average of 23 while striking at 121.

How to Watch Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh