Sri Lanka
T20 World Cop 2022: In opening match, Sri Lanka wins toss, bowling first against Namibia
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bowl first against Namibia in the opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.
The Netherlands will play United Arab Emirates in the second match of the qualifying tournament, also in Geelong, which will determine four teams to advance to the main event starting later this week.
Sri Lanka, the T20 World Cup champions in 2014, sustained a big blow on the eve of the tournament when left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka was ruled out with a quadriceps injury.
Lineups:
Namibia: Divan la Cock, Michael van Lingen, Stephan Baard, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Jan Frylinck, J.J. Smit, David Wiese, Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo .
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Where to watch live in Bangladesh via TV, OTT, and apps
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan.
Umpires: Joe Wilson, West Indies, and Rod Tucker, Australia.
TV umpire: Paul Reiffel, Australia; Match Referee: Andy Pycroft, Zimbabwe
Incredible Sri Lanka win Asia Cup as Pakistan collapse at final hurdle
Sri Lanka have outclassed Pakistan with the bat, outsmarted them with the ball, and outdid the Green Shirts in the field in Dubai to win the Asia Cup for the sixth time.
Batting first, Sri Lanka lost a few quick wickets before Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Wanindu Hasaranga came to their team's rescue.
It was the fourth Asia Cup final between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In the last three, Sri Lanka won twice.
Chasing Sri Lanka's 170, Pakistan were bowled out for 147.
Mohammad Rizwan and Iftekhar Ahmed tried their best, but the other batters failed to do enough. Rizwan hit 55 and Iftikhar 32. But the only other batter who reached double-digits was Haris Rauf, usually a bowler. He made 13.
For Sri Lanka, Pramod Madushan, the right-arm pacer, took four wickets for 34 runs in four overs. Hasaranga picked up three and Chamika Karunaratne two.
Pakistan were never in a position to win the match after the first few overs of the match. They picked up some quick wickets, but Sri Lankan batting slowly crawled back to life after being temporarily frozen.
Earlier, Rajapaksa smashed an outstanding 71 off 45 balls to power Sri Lanka to 170 for six.
Put in to bat first, Sri Lanka lost five wickets in just 58 runs. Pakistan made a great start by sending three Sri Lankan batters back to the dressing room inside the powerplay.
Naseem Shah picked up Kusal Mendis in the first over. Kusal made a golden duck. Sri Lanka also lost Pathum Nissanka (8), Danushka Gunathilaka (1) and Dasun Shanaka (2) in quick succession.
Dhananjaya de Silva scored 28 to bring Sri Lanka back on track after the initial blow. Rajapaksa and Hasaranga scored 58-run on the sixth wicket.
Hasraranga fell prey to Haris Rauf for 36 off 21 balls. Chamika Karunaratne's 14-run cameo also helped the Lankans put up a good total on board.
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf bagged three wickets conceding 29 runs while Naseem, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar took one wicket each.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Who will win Asia Cup Cricket 2022?
The fifteenth edition of the Asia Cup is all set to end on Sunday (September 11) with a final match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Both teams started their Asia Cup Cricket 2022 campaigns with a defeat before winning three consecutive matches to earn a spot in the final. Pakistan and Sri Lanka met each other on Friday, which was considered a dress rehearsal for the championship match. The Lankan side won the contest quite comprehensively by 5 wickets with 18 balls remaining and completed their four wins on the trot. The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka championship match preview in Asia Cup 2022 is discussed in this article.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: H2H Twenty20 International Statistics
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have often played against each other in the T20 format. Both sides have met each other on 22 occasions in the twenty20 format so far. Pakistan have led head-to-head contests with 13 wins, while Sri Lanka have won 9 matches. Overall, Pakistan have won four bilateral series, while Sri Lanka have won only one in 2019 and two ended in a draw. Let’s have a look at some notable Twenty20 International records between these two sides.
Read Asia Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh National Men’s T20 Cricket Squad
Noteworthy Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20I statistics (as on September 9, 2022)
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Matches (22)
13
9
Most Matches
Shoaib Malik (16)
Tillakaratne Dilshan (14)
Most Runs
Shoaib Malik (397)
Tillakaratne Dilshan (323)
Highest Score
Shoaib Malik (57)
Kusal Perera (84)
Most Wickets
Saeed Ajmal (14)
Lasith Malinga (16)
Best Bowling Figure (BBI)
Umar Gul (4/13)
Kaushalya Weeraratne (4/19)
Most Catches
Mohammad Hafeez (6)
Tillakaratne Dilshan (8)
Most Dismissals
Kamran Akmal (5) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (5)
Kumar Sangakkara (12)
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Bangladesh women's team to play T20 World Cup qualifiers in UAE
Asia Cup Cricket 2022 Final: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Match Preview
Prior to the Asia Cup 2022, India and Pakistan were overwhelmingly favourites to be the finalists. Despite a dominant start to the tournament, India failed to live up to the expectations in the Super Four Round and finished third in the points table with one win. Pakistan, on the other hand, have shown good performances in the competition and secured a place in the final by winning two matches in the Super Four.
However, Sri Lanka have surprised everyone with their consistency and improvement since losing horribly to Afghanistan in the tournament opener. The Lankan side have remained undefeated in their last four games and finished first in the points table with three wins.
The Asia Cup Cricket 2022 final match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will start at 8 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time) on Sunday (September 11) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Both teams have played plenty of matches at this venue and have decent records.
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Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s T20I records at the DICS (as on September 9, 2022)
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Matches
31
7
Win
17
4
Loss
13
3
Highest Score
187
211
Lowest Score
74
105
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read: Asia Cup: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in dead rubber before final
Pakistan
Captain Babar Azam’s form has been the major concern for the Pakistan campaign. His last five innings were 10,9,14,0, and 30. Because of Babar's poor form with the bat, Mohammad Rizwan is carrying extra responsibility in the top order. The Pakistan captain looked solid against Sri Lanka in the last match of the Super Four round, but the strike was very poor. Besides, except for Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan’s middle order hasn’t performed well so far in the competition. They need to find a solution to deal with the Lankan spinners in the middle-overs in the final match.
Pakistan's bowling has been impressive and contributed significantly to most of the team’s wins. Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz have all done their jobs properly and will be eager to continue their good work in the championship contest.
Probable Playing XI
Top-Order: Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman,
Middle-Order: Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan,
Lower-Order: Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah.
Read Asia Cup 2022: Live streaming TV channels, online platforms to watch from Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan team looked vulnerable in their opening match of the Asia Cup Cricket 2022. However, they made a strong comeback in their second encounter against Bangladesh to earn a place in the Super Four round. Since then, the Lankan players have shown magnificent consistency in their performances. Apparently, no major issue has appeared to be solved on the Sri Lankan side.
However, they need to be aware of the fact that Pakistan is a very dangerous limited-overs side and have the ability to destroy any opposition on their day. Sri Lanka is unlikely to make any changes for the championship game.
Probable Playing XI
Top-Order: Kusal Mendis (wicket-keeper), Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka,
Middle-Order: Danushka Gunathilaka, Dasun Shanaka (captain,), Dhananjaya de Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chamika Karunaratne,
Lower-Order: Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka.
Read Asia Cup: Pakistan choose to bowl against Afghanistan in 'anybody's game'
The Weather and Pitch Report for the Asia Cup 2022 Final
Dubai's weather will be hot and sunny on Sunday, with a probability of temperatures reaching close to 40 degrees Celsius. The toss-winning captain is anticipated to chase in the championship match because fielding first has recently benefited by winning the majority of T20I matches in Dubai.
Verdict
The Sri Lankan team at the moment has the confidence in themselves to go out and perform to defeat Pakistan in the Asia Cup Cricket 2022 championship game. The Pakistani team, on the other hand, is just as competitive and capable of competing bravely against the Lankan team to win the fifteenth edition of the Asia Cup. Overall, the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka final match on Sunday in Dubai promises to be an exciting one.
Sri Lanka stuns India with a six-wicket win in Asia Cup
Sri Lanka stunned India with aggressive batting and recorded a six-wicket win in the Asia Cup Super 4 on Tuesday.
Half centuries by opening pair of Kusal Mendis (57) and Pathum Nissanka (52) led Sri Lanka to 174-4 for its third straight successful run-chase of 170-plus in the tournament.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma turned around his below-par batting form with 72 off 41 balls to anchor his team to 173-8 after Virat Kohli was bowled by Dilshan Madushanka (3-24) for zero.
Read:India, Sri Lanka face off in a crucial encounter in Asia Cup 2022
The right-armed Madhushanka reined in Indian power-hitters in his return spell with the wickets of Rishabh Pant and Deepak Hooda after Sharma holed out in the 13th over off medium fast bowler Chamika Karunaratne.
Mendis and Nissanka raised Sri Lanka’s best opening partnership in a T20 against India when they racked up 97 runs in 11 overs.
India came back through spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s (3-34) triple strike in his last two overs. But captain Dasun Shanaka made an unbeaten 33 off 18 balls and Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored 25 not out as Sri Lanka reached home with a ball to spare.
SAFF U-17: Bangladesh make flying start crushing hosts Sri Lanka 5-1
Bangladesh team made flying start in the six-nation SAFF U-17 Championship crushing hosts Sri Lanka by 5-1 goals in one of the two opening day matches at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka Monday evening..
Touring Bangladesh dominated the first half and led 2-0 within just 11 minutes.
Rubel Shaikh put Bangladesh ahead in the 7th minute pushing the ball to empty net from close utilizing a lapse of Sri Lankan custodian Mohamed Rihas (1-0) while Mohammad Murshed Ali doubled Bangladesh margin from a goalmouth melee in the 11th minute (2-0).
Read: Ctg Premier Football: Brothers Union beat Satadal Club 2-1
That was the scoreline at halftime. When the players came back out, Murshed Ali, Sirajul Islam Rana and Mohamad Nazimuddin added one goal each for Bangladesh in the 75th, 79th and 90+3 minutes.
Yasser Sharfraz in the 77th minute scored the consolation strike for the hosts.
Bangladesh team, which was placed in Group A along with Sri Lanka and the Maldives, will play the Maldives in the remaining group match on Wednesday (Sept 7) at the same venue
Earlier, India also made a good start in the regional youth soccer meet outplaying Bhutan by 3-0 goals in the inaugural match at the same venue Monday afternoon.
Group B team comprises India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Read: SAFF Women's Champs: Bangladesh hold second practice session in Kathmandu
On completion of group matches, top two teams from each of the group will play in the semifinals on Sept 12 while the final match will be held on Sept 14.
Bangladesh team- Mohammad Asif, Imran Khan, Parvej Ahmed (Mohammad Ratul) , Sirajul Islam Rana, Chandon Roy, Ashiqur Rahman, Rubel Shaikh, Swapon Hossain, Mirajul Islam, Nazmul Huda Faisal and Murshed Ali.
Sri Lanka beats Afghans to open Asia Cup's Super 4 stage
Sri Lanka outsmarted Afghanistan to win the opening match of the Super 4 stage by four wickets at the Asia Cup on Saturday.
Danushka Gunathilaka (33) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31) profited from dropped catches to carry Sri Lanka to a winning 179-6 with five balls to spare and avenge a heavy loss to the Afghans in the group stage.
Afghanistan, which was put in to bat, rode on opening batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s fabulous 84 off 45 balls before Sri Lanka pulled them back in the death overs to restrict them to 175-6.
“We believe we can chase anything on these kinds of wickets,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said after his team’s second successive big chase.
“There was a plan coming into this game … partnerships was the key.”
Gurbaz was on 8 when Gunathilaka had him caught at the long-on boundary but video clearly showed the fielder pushed the boundary cushion with his back heel.
The lapse cost Sri Lanka as Gurbaz notched his half-century off just 22 balls in a second-wicket stand of 93 with Ibrahim Zadran, who made a nearly run-a-ball 40.
Read: Bangladesh bow out of Asia Cup, lose to Sri Lanka
But Sri Lanka made a grand recovery in the death overs through fast bowler Asitha Fernando, who made his T20 debut against Bangladesh on Thursday, and offspinner Maheesh Theekshana.
Fernando broke through in the 16th over when Gurbaz holed out at midwicket while looking for his seventh six of the innings, and Theekshana had Nabi caught off his own bowling in the penultimate over.
Sri Lanka’s aggressive approach in the run chase paid dividends as Kusal Mendis (36) and Pathum Nissanka (35) provided a whirlwind start of 62 off 39 balls. Mendis hit two sixes against Rashid Khan in the powerplay as Afghanistan had to bring in its key spinner inside the first six overs.
Rashid had a rare off day in a Twenty20; the legspinner conceded 39 runs off his four overs before clean bowling Gunathilaka in his last over.
Both Sri Lanka openers perished in the space of three overs, but Gunathilaka and Rajapaksa continued to dominate.
Afghanistan could have got Gunathilaka early but didn’t go for a television referral against Rashid’s sharp delivery before the left-hander was dropped at fine leg in Nabi’s next over.
Rajapaksa was also let off when Samiullah Shinwari, playing his first T20 in 2 1/2 years, missed a sitter at deep cover after the batter hit fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq for two fours and a six in the 16th over.
“We were about 20-25 runs short, and also we didn’t field well or bowl in the right areas,” Nabi said. “It’s a better pitch today than the one we played on against Bangladesh … we dropped some catches which, if we took, the game would have been different.”
India and Pakistan play their Super 4 opener on Sunday.
Sri Lanka's ousted president expected to return home
Ousted Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to return home more than seven weeks after he fled the country amid mass protests that demanded his resignation, holding him and his family responsible for the country's economic crisis.
Rajapaksa currently does not face any current arrest warrants. A corruption case against him in his former role as secretary to the Defense Ministry was withdrawn when he was elected president in 2019 because of constitutional immunity. Some other investigations were also suspended.
Officials familiar with arrangements for his arrival said Rajapaksa was expected to return from Thailand later Friday, while local media reported it would be Saturday. It was not possible to independently verify the timing. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Read: IMF agrees to provide crisis-hit Sri Lanka $2.9 billion
Rajapaksa fled from the president’s official residence on July 9 when tens of thousands of people stormed the building and occupied it, along with several other key state buildings.
On July 13, he fled to the Maldives on a military jet and a day later flew to Singapore, from where he announced his resignation. Two weeks later he arrived in Thailand on a diplomatic visa following a Sri Lankan government request.
Rajapaksa was elected president in 2019 by an overwhelming majority on a promise to uplift the country’s economy and strengthen national security, after Islamic State-inspired bomb attacks on churches and hotels killed 270 people on Easter Sunday that year.
However, policy blunders including drastic tax cuts which reduced national income and pushed down credit ratings, a ban on agrochemicals ostensibly to promote organic farming, and the release of scarce foreign currency to artificially control exchange rates led to the worst economic crisis in the country's history.
Sri Lanka has suspended repayment of its foreign debts, which total more than $51 billion, of which $28 billion must be repaid by 2027.
Read: Sri Lanka hopes to reach initial agreement with IMF for help
The International Monetary Fund announced Thursday a preliminary agreement to extend $2.9 billion to Sri Lanka over four years, provided there are assurances from the country's creditors on loan restructuring.
Months of street protest have dismantled the one-powerful Rajapaksa political family.
Before Rajapaksa resigned, his older brother stepped down as prime minister and three more close family members quit their Cabinet positions.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who succeeded Rajapaksa, has cracked down on protests, helping the Rajapaksa family and its supporters who were in hiding to return to public politics.
Nuzly Hameem, who helped lead the protest movement, said the former president’s return shouldn’t be an issue “as long as he is held accountable.”
“He is a Sri Lankan citizen so no one can prevent him from coming back. But as someone who wants justice for the corrupt system, I would like to see action taken — there should be justice, they should file cases against him and hold him accountable for what he did to the country.”
“We didn’t expect him to flee, we wanted him to resign. As long as he doesn’t involve himself in active politics, it won’t be a problem," Hameem said.
Sri Lanka ready to welcome Bangladeshi tourists, others: Envoy
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sudharshan Seneviratne has said his country is ready to welcome tourists from Bangladesh and other parts of the world.
The government has taken necessary measures to give people back their confidence, he added.
"What we are projecting now is about confidence. This is a very important thing. We are also looking at enhancing our economic status by proper management," he told reports at a media briefing at the high commission Thursday.
Seneviratne said their stock market and exports are doing far better and there is progress in other areas that give a picture of confidence to people to come and visit Sri Lanka.
The Covid pandemic and recent political situation battered Sri Lanka's tourism, one of its biggest foreign currency earners.
Everything has now returned to normal and conducive conditions have been created for visiting the country, Seneviratne said, urging the Bangladeshis to consider Sri Lanka as their tourist destination.
The high commissioner highlighted the emergence of Bangladesh as a key target market in South Asia with its palpable presence.
Bangladesh has proven its self-determination, economic development and resilience within a very limited time while broadening their horizon, especially in trade, investment and tourism, Seneviratne said.
Sri Lanka Convention Bureau Chair Thisum Jayasuriya said the situation in Sri Lanka now has totally changed and there is no queue for fuel or anything on the street.
The country now has enough fuel for essential services like buses, trains and medical vehicles, and steps have been taken to give special importance to tourists for their pleasant stay and travel, he said.
Jayasuriya, however, blamed a section of the media who exaggerated the situation, adding that there was no food crisis in the country.
Also read: IMF agrees to provide crisis-hit Sri Lanka $2.9 billion
"Tourists from various countries have already started visiting Sri Lanka. We are expecting that more than one lakh tourists from different parts of the world will visit Sri Lanka by December this year," he said.
Bangladesh bow out of Asia Cup, lose to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won a thriller chasing 184 and knocked Bangladesh out of the ongoing Asia Cup Thursday night in the UAE.
Put in to bat first, Bangladesh scored 183 and Sri Lanka chased it down with three balls to play and two wickets to spare.
Kusal Mendis (60 off 37) and captain Dasun Shanaka (45 off 33) led the Lankans to the next phase of the tournament.
In the last four overs, Sri Lanka needed 43 runs with Shanaka and Karunaratne at the crease. Mustafizur Rahman gave away 9 runs in the 17th over, and Mahedi Hasan also conceded as many runs in the 18th.
Eabadot Hossain, who bagged three wickets in the match, conceded 17 runs in the 19th over. In the last over, Mahedi failed to defend eight runs.
Earlier, Bangladesh scored 183-7. Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mosaddek Hossain helped the Tigers post a total that they could defend.
Bangladesh changed their opening pair in the match, dropping Anamul Haque Bijoy and Mohammad Naim and paving the way for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Sabbir Rahman.
The plan worked for the Tigers. However, Sabbir failed to impress despite hitting a four off the first ball he faced in international cricket after a break of three years.
Mehidy scored 38 off 26 balls with two sixes and two fours and Bangladesh scored 55-1 – the highest powerplay total in the ongoing Asia Cup so far.
After Sabbir fell, Mushfiqur Rahim failed once again (4 off 5).
Shakib scored 21 off 22 with three fours and completed 6,000 runs in T20s – both international and domestic.
In the first 10 overs, Bangladesh scored 85-3. In the next five overs, their score stood at 123-4.
Afif anchored Bangladesh during the middle overs. Before falling prey to Dilshan Madushanka, he scored 39 off 22 balls with four fours and two sixes. In the fifth wicket stand, Afif and Mahmudullah Riyad added 57 runs off 37 balls.
In the last five overs, Bangladesh scored 60 runs. Mosaddek scored 29 off 9 balls with four fours. Taskin Ahmed scored 11 off six balls with a six.
For Sri Lanka, Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne scalped two wickets each.
With this win, Sri Lanka qualified for the next phase of the Asia Cup as the second team after Afghanistan from Group B.
Bangladesh ended their Asia Cup campaign without a win.
Read: Asia Cup 2022: Bangladesh Vs Sri Lanka Match Live Streaming
Asia Cup 2022: Bangladesh Vs Sri Lanka Match Live Streaming
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will wrestle with each other in their upcoming match of Asia Cup 2022. The SL vs BAN match will be played on September 1 (Thursday).
Where to Watch the Live Streaming of Bangladesh vs Srilanka Match
GTV (Gazi Television) will broadcast all matches of this sports event in Bangladesh. The matches can also be watched on BTV (Bangladesh Television) National and Channel Nine.
India's satellite TV channel Star Sports has got the rights to distribute the broadcast worldwide as an official broadcaster of the Asia Cup.
Read:Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka in make-or-break clash Thursday
Furthermore, foreign channels like T-Sports, Sony Sports, Ten Cricket Video also give the scope to watch the matches from Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi Cricket lovers can watch the event for free from any device through Sony Live Bioscope and Toffee apps. Among the digital platforms, Disney Plus Hotstar subscribers can enjoy live streaming for a fixed subscription charge.
How to Watch the BAN vs SRI Match Live from Mobile Phone
The Bangladeshi cricket fans can also watch the Asia Cup 2022 Matches Live from Mobile Phone. The Grameenphone (GP) users can watch the Asia cup cricket matches live streaming via MyGP app.
Afghanistan became the first team to qualify for the Asia Cup 2022 Super Four on Tuesday, Bangladesh’s final Group B encounter against Sri Lanka has become winners take it all. The winner between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will join Afghanistan from the group in Super Four stage.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2022 Match Details
Match: BAN vs SL, 5th Match, Group B;
Date: September 1 (Thursday), 2022.