World Cup 2024
Squad Analysis of Sri Lanka for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
The first high-voltage match of the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup will feature Sri Lanka when they face South Africa on the 3rd of June. Sri Lanka might not enter the tournament as the favorites but they are always a force to be reckoned with. This time they also put a strong squad to challenge. Here is a detailed look at the Sri Lanka squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Sri Lanka Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Table: List of Players in the Sri Lanka Team in the 2024 ICC World Cup Tournament
Player
Role
Wanindu Hasaranga (Captain)
Allrounder
Charith Asalanka (Vice Captain)
Batting Allrounder
Kusal Mendis
Wicketkeeper Batter
Pathum Nissanka
Top Order batter
Kamindu Mendis
Allrounder
Sadeera Samarawickrama
Wicketkeeper Batter
Angelo Mathews
Allrounder
Dasun Shanaka
Allrounder
Dhananjaya De Silva
Allrounder
Maheesh Theekshana
Bowler
Dunith Wellalage
Bowler
Dushmantha Chameera
Bowler
Nuwan Thushara
Bowler
Matheesha Pathirana
Bowler
Dilshan Madushanka
Bowler
Reserves
Asitha Fernando
Bowler
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth
Bowler
Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Top Order batter
Janith Liyanage
Batting Allrounder
The Sri Lankan side will be led by their superstar all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga. Sri Lanka has kept their faith in the world’s best all-rounder and top wicket-taker of the last two ICC Men’s T20 World Cups to lead them to glory this time.
Read more: Analysis of India Squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World 2024
Analysis of Sri Lanka Squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
The Sri Lankan squad is star-studded with some of the big names of World T20 currently. It consists of a solid bunch of players who can win games single-handedly on their day. However, this team has some definitive strengths and weaknesses which are discussed here.
Strengths Of Sri Lanka Squad
Strong bowling unit
This Sri Lankan squad carries a strong bowling unit. Their skipper Wanindu Hasaranga holds the second position in the ICC Men’s T20I Bowling Ranking currently. Strike bowler Maheesh Theekshana occupies the 4th position in the same list.
Apart from that Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana can rattle any batting line-up with their fiery toe-crushers. Allrounders Dhananjaya De Silva and Angelo Mathews can bowl pivotal overs. Dasun Shanaka is still their go-to death-over bowler, especially in close encounters. Scoring against this bowling line-up won’t be easy at all. Sri Lanka must capitalize on these assets they have.
Read more: Fixtures of Bangladesh Team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Variety of All-rounders
The Sri Lankan squad has an abundance of genuine all-rounders who can equally contribute with both bat and ball. Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka are effective medium pacers. Wanindu Hasaranga is one of the best bowlers and Dhanajaya De Silva works as a trump card as well. And all of these players play crucial roles for the team with the bat. This increased the depth and efficiency of the side which is one of their greatest strengths without a doubt.
Drawbacks Of Sri Lanka Squad
Lack of Depth in Batting
Sri Lanka have an explosive and fiery top order with batters like Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Pathum Nissanka, and Charith Asalanka. However, one problem they consistently face is their batting in the middle overs. It happens because their lower-middle order often fails to chip in. This overreliance on the top order might hurt them in the current World Cup campaign.
Non-performing Veterans
Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka have a combined 184 T20Is under their belt. This kind of experience is priceless for any team. However, Sri Lanka could not generate enough return from them because of their less contribution. Dasun Shanaka only scored 139 runs in his last 10 innings averaging only around 17. His 6 wickets still cover that up.
Read more: Stars who can be game-changers for Bangladesh in T20 World Cup
However, Angelo Mathews had a decent year with the bat averaging 29.43 while scoring 206 runs. Yet the quality of opponents indicates that these numbers could have been better. With the experience these two bring, they have much more to contribute and if they don’t, it is unfortunate for Sri Lanka.
Key Players to Watch in Sri Lanka Squad
Wanindu Hasaranga
The current best all-rounder in the world, 2nd best bowler in the T20I format, and the 2nd highest wicket-taker ever for Sri Lanka to date. The remarks are enough to explain the importance of this team. If Sri Lanka is to succeed in this World Cup, this skipper will have to play the most pivotal role in that.
Maheesh Theekshana
Maheesh Theekshana is one of the most in-form bowlers in the world. He is the current no.4 ranked bowler in T20I format and a key figure in the Sri Lankan bowling line-up. He has 10 wickets in the last 8 games. Sri Lanka needs someone to complement Wanindu Hasaranga and have the right man for it in Maheesh Theekshana. Now it has to be his time to shine.
Read more: Analyzing Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Angelo Mathews
He is the most experienced and seasoned campaigner on this team. He is in great form this year. He is also among the all-time greatest for Sri Lanka in the shortest version of the game. Apart from that, he is the only player in this squad who was there when Sri Lanka won the trophy in 2014. His team needs that experience now more than ever.
Kusal Mendis
Kusal Mendis is the 3rd highest run-scorer ever for Sri Lanka and has a good chance of becoming 2nd. He is in great form this year being Sri Lanka’s top scorer scoring at an average of 30+ with 2 half-centuries. The tone of the innings for Sri Lanka is often set by him and he needs to do it this time as well.
Conclusion
In the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka is drawn in the “group of death” with Bangladesh, South Africa, Netherlands, and Nepal. They have a difficult job in hand but also have enough resources to tackle the competitors. If team Sri Lanka can mitigate their weaknesses, they might have a serious go for the title.
Read more: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024: Groups, Match Fixtures, and Venues
Analyzing Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
BCB announced the 15-men squad of the Bangladesh team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on 14th May. Nazmul Hossain Shanto will lead the squad with Taskin Ahmed as his deputy. There are two travel reserves in the squad as well. Here is an analysis of the Bangladesh squad.
Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Table: List of players in Bangladesh Team for the upcoming T20 World Cup
Player
Position
Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain)
Top Order Batter
Taskin Ahmed (Vice Captain)
Bowler
Litton Das
Wicketkeeper Batter
Soumya Sarkar
Batting Allrounder
Tanzid Hasan Tamim
Opening Batter
Tawhid Hridoy
Top Order Batter
Mahmudullah Riyad
Allrounder
Shakib Al Hasan
Allrounder
Jaker Ali Anik
Batter
Mahedi Hasan
Allrounder
Rishad Hossain
Bowler
Shoriful Islam
Bowler
Mustafizur Rahman
Bowler
Tanzim Hasan Sakib
Bowler
Tanvir Islam
Bowler
Reserves
Afif Hossain
Batting Allrounder
Hasan Mahmud
Bowler
.
Read more: Will Taskin Ahmed Make the Cut for T20 World Cup?
Analysis of the Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Bangladesh have been quite late to announce the squad compared to the other teams. It implies that the selectors had some doubts over 2-3 players for this time.
Bangladesh would be very dependent on the bowling unit this time as they are the most in-form department in the team. Taskin Ahmed, with his new vice-captain duty, is supposed to lead the attack along with Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman. The inclusion of Tanzim Hasan gives new dynamics to the pace attack. It is reported that there was a competition between him and Mohammad Saifuddin in the team for a spot. However, the long break from international cricket and the last game against Zimbabwe didn’t help Saifuddin’s cause for breaking into the World Cup squad this time.
The spin attack would be led by Shakib Al Hasan who showed his guile in the last two games against Zimbabwe. Along with him Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, and Tanvir Islam were selected making the most dynamic spin attack Bangladesh ever had. This unit comprises all of the Left-arm orthodox, Right-arm off-spinner, and Right-arm leg-spinner. Mahmudullah Riyad can do a good job as a part-timer too.
As the top order is not very dependable, the Bangladesh team would mostly depend on the middle order for runs. This unit consists of the vast experience of Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad. At the same time, it consists of fresh bloods like Tawhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali Anik. It makes an interesting combination of the calm and bold batters for a middle-order.
The top-order is the most worrisome part in this squad with batters misfiring quite often. Tanzid Tamim has scored two half-centuries in his first 5 matches which is a breath of fresh air. But Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and skipper Nazmul Hossain Shanto are struggling for runs. This is especially concerning considering Litton and Shanto were the best performers from Bangladesh’s last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Read more: Why Delay in Bangladesh's World Cup Squad Announcement?
Key Players for Bangladesh Squad
Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan will always be the most important player for Bangladesh cricket as long as he stays. He is the highest wicket-taker and 8th-highest run-scorer in the history of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He has been the most key player for Bangladesh whenever the team plays and he will be this time sure. Although his batting is a concern, fans can hope for him to figure it out.
Mahmudullah Riyad
A rejuvenated Mahmudullah Riyad will be the key player to hold the batting unit together this time. He is one of the most in-form batters for Bangladesh right now scoring two half-centuries this year with an average of 71.5. He has reshaped the middle-order for the Bangladesh team and the team will expect him to play a big role this time.
Taskin Ahmed
The new vice-captain of Bangladesh cricket will lead the bowling attack, especially the pace attack of the team. He was the player of the series in Bangladesh’s recent series against Zimbabwe where he picked 8 wickets. He has an injury problem which might see him on the sidelines for some games. But whenever he is on the field, he is the biggest asset for the team.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto
The misfiring skipper has a huge role of leading the team from the front. He could only score 81 runs in the series against Zimbabwe which is not a good sign. However, Bangladesh won two games in the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Shanto scored 71(55) and 25(20) in those games. Also, he scored half-centuries in both the wins of Bangladesh at the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. It shows that he has to play a big role for Bangladesh to win. This time is not supposed to be any different either.
Read more: Saifuddin's World Cup omission sparks heated debate
Verdict
Bangladesh have picked up a quite dynamic bowling unit for both the pace and spin department. They have a good combination of youth and experience in the middle order as well. However, the top order does not convince most of the fans. It would be interesting to see how far the Tigers go being in the group of the death in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Full Fixture, Groups, Teams and Venues
ICC has published the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup groups and fixtures. Ten teams will battle it out over 2.5 weeks and 23 games to be crowned as the next world champions of T20I cricket form. Let’s take a look at the fixtures, teams, and venues of the 2024 ICC Women’s T20I World Cup tournament.
Host and Venues of Women’s T20 World Cup Tournament
Bangladesh will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the second time. They are the second nation to host two Women’s T20 World Cups.
The matches would be played in two different venues.
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur, DhakaSylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet12 of the 23 games will be played at Dhaka while the others will take place at Sylhet.
Read more: Shakib, Soumya, Mustafizur return as BCB announces squad for final Zimbabwe T20Is
Format of 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup
Ten teams will be participating in this year’s tournaments. These teams will be divided into two groups. Each team will play with every one of the groups in a round-robin system. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
Groups of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
Subhead: List of Countries in ICC Women’s World Cup 2024
Group
Teams
A
Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
B
Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, Scotland
Read more: Zimbabwe Come Close, But Bangladesh Clinch the Series
Full Fixture of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
Subhead: Match Schedules and Fixtures in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2024
Match No
Date
Team 1
Team 2
Time (BST)
Venue
1
10/3/2024
England
South Africa
3:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
2
10/3/2024
Bangladesh
Scotland
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
3
10/4/2024
Australia
Sri Lanka
3:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
4
10/4/2024
India
New Zealand
7:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
5
10/5/2014
South Africa
West Indies
3:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
6
10/5/2024
Bangladesh
England
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
7
10/6/2024
New Zealand
Sri Lanka
3:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
8
10/6/2024
India
Pakistan
7:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
9
10/7/2024
West Indies
Scotland
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
10
10/8/2024
Australia
Pakistan
7:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
11
10/9/2024
Bangladesh
West Indies
3:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
12
10/9/2024
India
Sri Lanka
7:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
13
10/10/2024
South Africa
Scotland
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
14
10/11/2024
Australia
New Zealand
3:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
15
10/11/2024
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
7:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
16
10/12/2024
England
West Indies
3:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
17
10/12/2024
Bangladesh
South Africa
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
18
10/13/2024
New Zealand
Pakistan
3:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
19
10/13/2024
Australia
India
7:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
20
10/14/2024
England
Scotland
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
Semi-Final 1
10/17/2024
TBA
TBA
7:00 PM
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
Semi-Final 2
10/18/2024
TBA
TBA
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
Finale
10/20/2024
TBA
TBA
7:00 PM
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur
Read more: Towhid's 50 propels Bangladesh to 165 in 3rd T20I against Zimbabwe
Conclusion
The 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup tournament will kick off on the 3rd of October with England taking on runner-up South Africa at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Host Bangladesh will play in the 2nd game of the tournament against Scotland. Defending champion Australia will start their 3rd consecutive title defense against Sri Lanka at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The semi-finals will start on the 17th of October. The Grand Finale is scheduled to be played on the 20th of October at Dhaka.
Read more: BCB President dissatisfied with national team’s batting despite Bangladesh's series lead over Zimbabwe