Bangladesh secured a victory over Sri Lanka in their opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in Dallas, Texas on Friday. Over half of the spectators at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, filled to capacity, left with smiles brought on by their team's win. To watch this match in USA’s cricket capital, Dallas, thousands of expatriate Bangladeshis gathered from around the USA. This win does Bangladesh's chances for advancing to the next phase a big favour, while Sri Lanka, already defeated by South Africa in their first match, now faces a challenging path. Sri Lanka, asked to bat first, were restricted to a paltry 124 runs for nine wickets. Bangladesh chased down the target with two wickets in hand and six balls remaining. T20 World Cup: Bowlers do the business for Tigers, restricting Sri Lanka to 124/9 However, the victory was not as easy as the target might have suggested. Despite a below-par score, Sri Lanka's total proved to be a difficult chase for Bangladesh. Bangladesh lost their struggling opener, Soumya Sarkar, for a duck in the first over. Soumya attempted to sweep a good-length delivery but top-edged it to Wanindu Hasaranga at mid-on. The next over saw the dismissal of the other opener, Tanzid Hasan. Nuwan Thushara bowled a full-length delivery that angled inwards. Tanzid tried to drive but was beaten by the late swing, resulting in his off stump being shattered. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto soon followed, also dismissed cheaply, extending his struggles. He was lured out of position by a wide full-length delivery and edged a sharp catch to Charith Asalanka. At this point, Bangladesh found themselves in a precarious position despite the low target. Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy worked hard to keep Bangladesh in the contest. Embassy Cup Cricket Carnival 2024 Kicks off in Dhaka Towhid launched a particularly impressive assault in the 12th over, smashing three sixes off three consecutive deliveries from Sri Lankan captain Wanindu Hasaranga. The first two sixes were slog sweeps off Hasaranga's googlies. The third six came when the bowler tried to adjust his line with a wide full-length delivery outside off. However, Towhid was ready with an inside-out shot over cover for his third consecutive six. These sixes significantly boosted Bangladesh's run rate, easing the pressure on the remaining batters. Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan departed quickly, bringing a sense of tension, but Mahmudullah Riyad finished the job with a brief but impactful 16 runs. Sri Lankan bowler Nuwan Thushara took four wickets, including two in consecutive deliveries. Given the nature of Bangladesh's victory, a crucial question arises: has this win boosted their confidence ahead of the challenging clash against South Africa on a tricky New York surface? Earlier, leg spinner Rishad Ahmed and experienced pacer Mustafizur Rahman bowled brilliantly to bring Bangladesh back into the game after Sri Lanka were put in to bat and got off to a fast start in the powerplay. Taskin Ahmed, who was initially questionable for the match due to a fitness issue, struck in the second over to remove Kusal Mendis for 10 runs. Mendis had started aggressively with two boundaries before being dismissed. Sri Lanka were 48/1 off 5 overs, when Mustafiz was introduced into the attack. He then took two wickets in the sixth and eighth overs. He dismissed Kamindu Mendis with his first ball and then Pathum Nissanka, who top-scored for Sri Lanka with 47 runs off 28 balls. Nissanka's innings included seven fours and a six. Rishad Hossain, the legspinner who is steadily gaining prominence in Bangladesh cricket, bowled a crucial 14th over. He removed both Charith Asalanka (19 runs) and Wanindu Hasaranga (a golden duck) in two consecutive deliveries, breaking a promising partnership. Rishad ended with figures of 3/22 off 4 overs, that earned him the man-of-the-match award. Sri Lanka's innings faltered in the final overs as Tanzim Hasan Sakib claimed two wickets in the 20th over, including the key wicket of Angelo Mathews. Mathews was caught at short third man for 16 runs, becoming Sakib's first World Cup wicket. Read more: T20 World Cup: Bangladesh aims to unleash full potential despite challenges

After a shocking start in the current T20 World Cup with a humiliating defeat against South Africa, Sri Lanka would look to bounce back in the tournament with a confident win. For that, they will face Bangladesh, who are not in great shape at the moment. Let’s take a look at the BAN vs SL match preview in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.   Table: Schedule of BAN vs SL Match in the 2024 ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup Match Details Match Date (BST) Teams Time (BST) Venue 15 8/6/2024 Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka  6:30 AM Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas Read more: Analysis of Australia Squad in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Preview of the BAN vs SL Match in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup Sri Lanka had a really poor and unexpected start at this World Cup. They were wrapped up for only 77 against South Africa in New York. However, their bowlers put up a good fight and stretched the game to the 17th over against the explosive Proteas batting line-up. Their bowling performance should give them some serious confidence and hope ahead of this game.  Additionally, despite the poor batting performance, they might still feel they have the upper hand against this Bangladesh team. Bangladesh had come to the USA early and played a series against the hosts as well for better preparation and adapting to the conditions. Everyone can argue about how well the preparation went. They lost the series against the USA 2-1, their winning game was against a USA side that rested some of their regular starters, and then had a hapless batting performance against India in the warm-up game. Read more: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024: Groups, Match Fixtures, and Venues Table: Sri Lanka’s Performance in the T20I Matches in 2024 Sri Lanka Performance in T20I Format in 2024 Played 10 Won 6 Lost 4 Tie/NR 0 Highest Run-scorer Kusal Mendis (303) Highest Wicket Taker Wanindu Hasaranga (15) Table: Bangladesh’s Performance in the T20I Matches in 2024 Bangladesh Performance in T20I Matches in 2024 Played 11 Won 6 Lost 5 Tie/NR 0 Highest Run-scorer Towhid Hridoy (263) Highest Wicket Taker Mustafizur Rahman (15) Read more: T20 World Cup: Bangladesh aims to unleash full potential despite challenges Both teams have the same problem but in different manners. Bangladesh’s batting lineup crumbles because of the failure of the top order. It has been misfiring miserably this year. Their opening pair went past 30 only 4 times this year and it was undone 4 times in less than 10 runs. The performances of Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Nazmul Hossain Shanto are not up to the mark. Tanzid Tamim has been a breath of fresh air scoring 3 half-centuries in his first 7 games. Still, there is a lot to correct in this batting line-up. However, their middle order has been clicking so far. Four of their top five run-scorers this year have been batting in the middle order.  Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is in the opposite situation. While their top-order is firing well, it is their middle-order who are not putting up performances. Their lack of batting depth is causing big problems for them. Even in the game against South Africa, they were at 31/2 from where they lost 8 wickets for a meager 46 runs.  Read more: Venue Guide: Stadiums of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Both the teams won’t have much complaints about their bowling as it has been decent throughout the years. For Bangladesh, their batters are not giving them much to fight with. However, the potential absence of their two strike bowlers, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam, adds to Bangladesh’s woes.  BAN vs SL H2H Records in T20I Format and T20 World Cups So Far Table: Head-to-head T20I Records between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka So far Head-to-Head Records in T20I Matches Played Sri Lanka Won Bangladesh Won TIE/NR 16 11 5 0 Read more: Analyzing Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Table: BD vs SL H2H Records in T20 World Cups So far Head-to-Head Records in T20 World Cup Matches Played Sri Lanka Won Bangladesh Won TIE/NR 2 2 0 0 Another sign of hope for the Sri Lankans is the head-to-head records. They usually have the upper hand over Bangladesh. Sri Lanka won the last 4 out of 5 games against Bangladesh. Adding to that, they won the latest series against Tigers this year in Bangladesh. The Sri Lanka team are yet to be beaten by Bangladesh in a T20 World Cup match so far. Read more: Squad Analysis of Sri Lanka for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Bangladesh can gain confidence by how the pitch is playing. There have been plenty of low-scoring encounters in this T20 World Cup. The game of Sri Lanka vs South Africa is an example of that. Bangladesh usually does better in slow pitches. Dallas, where the game will be played saw Nepal and Netherlands fight it out in a low-scoring battle. However, this field also saw the first game between Canada and the USA where the USA chased down 194 of Canada with 14 balls to spare. With their batting form, Bangladesh would hope this to not be the case in their game. Probable Lineups in the BAN vs SL T20 Match Most Probable XI of the Sri Lanka Team Wanindu Hasaranga (Captain), Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Dhanajya De Silva, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, and Nuwan Thushara. Read more: Stars who can be game-changers for Bangladesh in T20 World Cup Most Probable XI of Bangladesh Team Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Litton Kumer Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Sakib, and Mustafizur Rahman. Key Players to Watch in Bangladesh Team Tanzid Hasan As mentioned before, Tanzid Hasan has been in the new era of Bangladesh's top-order since his debut. He scored 237 runs in his 7 games averaging 47. If Bangladesh want to put up a big total, Tanzid has to perform one of his best games so far to contribute largely to the team Tiger’s victory. Mustafizur Rahman Mustafizur Rahman is always a key bowler for Bangladesh in T20Is. With the probable absence of Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur is supposed to lead the team’s bowling attack. He has a good T20I bowling record against Sri Lanka with 14 wickets in 12 innings striking at 18.85. Without a doubt, he needs to be at his best in this game. Read more: Analysis of India Squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World 2024 Towhid Hridoy Towhid Hridoy is the highest run-scorer for Bangladesh this year in T20Is with 263 runs and a couple of half-centuries. He also scored 36.86 runs on average this year. Bangladesh needs him to go big in this game to have a solid winning chance. Key Players to Watch in Sri Lanka Wanindu Hasaranga Sri Lanka will rely on their skipper heavily for this game. He bowls in the middle overs where he is supposed to face the in-form middle order of Bangladesh. If he manages to do what he usually does against them, Sri Lanka will feel inches closer to a win in this game. Kusal Mendis Kusal Mendis is the highest scorer for Sri Lanka so far in 2024. Given that Bangladesh’s batting order has been clumsy, Sri Lanka might feel putting up a good total on the board does 90% of the job for them to win. And it does not need to put more emphasis on how much Sri Lanka would rely on their most in-form and productive batter to deliver the goods this time. Read more: Fixtures of Bangladesh Team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Matheesha Pathirana Matheesha Pathirana has been in great form with 11 wickets in his last 6 games and coming from a wonderful IPL campaign. He was also the best bowler for Sri Lanka in the game against South Africa. He can give his team an early advantage against Bangladesh’s clumsy top order. If he does his job well, Sri Lanka have a real winning chance. Verdict  In the 2024 ICC T20 Men’s World Cup tournament, both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have similar kinds of issues with their respective teams. However, the recent forms and history between these two sides give Sri Lanka the edge. As a result, Sri Lanka will enter the BAN vs SL T20I match as favorites in this enticing rivalry of cricket. Read more: USA vs BAN T20I Series 2024: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Series Defeat Against USA

The Super Four round of Asia Cup 2023 started with the Bangladesh vs Pakistan match on September 6. Bangladesh will also play the second match of the Super Four. This time, the Tigers will face Sri Lanka on September 9, 2023. The Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka match will take place at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, at 3:30 pm Bangladesh time. Let’s see what to expect from this match. BAN vs SL ODI 2023 Match Preview After the big win against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup group stage, Bangladesh faced defeat against Pakistan on September 6. With poor batting, Bangladesh set Pakistan a target of 194 runs. In reply, Pakistan, one of the hosts of the tournament, easily reached the target by losing 3 wickets in 39.3 overs. Pakistan won the match by 7 wickets. After winning the toss at Lahore, the Tigers batted first but were all out for 193 runs. The initial wickets loss was responsible for the collapse. Pakistan's bowling has smacked four wickets for 47 runs. After that, Shakib-Mushfiqur Rahim made a pair, and they also turned around. Bangladesh's innings did not last long after Shakib's dismissal for the team’s 147 runs. Now Bangladesh is looking forward to the next match against Sri Lanka. However, Bangladesh lost a match in the group stage against Sri Lanka. So, Bangladesh will surely be looking for a comeback. While the Bangladesh team was shaky in the opening section, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s injury changed the whole momentum of the team. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has been at a good pace as they have won both matches in the group stage. However, they faced a challenge winning against the Afghans in their last match. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 291 runs for 8 wickets. Sri Lankan batsmen were in an aggressive mood from the start. The two openers, Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne, started very well. They scored 41 and 32 runs, respectively. However, Kusal Mendis, who started at number three, put Sri Lanka's innings on a solid foundation. He played an innings of 92 runs off 84 balls. Finished his innings with six fours and three sixes. Charith Asalanka (36), Maheesh Theekshana (28), and Dunith Wellalage (33 not out) helped Sri Lanka put up a fighting run. So, after this performance, it can be said that the Lankan batting lineup will surely put pressure on Bangladeshi bowlers. On top of that, Sri Lanka does not have any injury updates. Hence, they will start with the regular squad against the Tigers. Read more: ICC World Cup 2023: India ODI Squad Analysis Probable Playing XI for Bangladesh Mohammad Naim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Hasan Mahmud. Probable Playing XI for Sri Lanka Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, and Matheesha Pathirana. Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: ODI Head to Head Records So Far Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka currently hold prominent positions in the world of one-day international cricket. Nevertheless, in their encounters with each other, Sri Lanka has consistently displayed greater strength and dominance. Sri Lanka has maintained a firm grip over Bangladesh, emerging victorious in 41 out of the 52 matches played between the two teams. Although Bangladesh has demonstrated signs of progress in recent times, they have managed to secure victory in only 9 of these encounters against Sri Lanka. Two matches had no results on March 25, 2023, and March 28, 2017. Bangladeshi Players to Watch Shakib Al Hasan Although Shakib could not perform well in the previous match against Sir Lanka, he contributed well in the Super Four match against Pakistan. Shakib scored only 5 runs from 11 balls against Sri Lanka in the group stage and took 2 wickets at a 2.9 economy rate. Against Pakistan, he scored 53 from 57 balls and bowled 5.3 overs but could not take any wickets. So, it seems Shakib is coming back to momentum, and we expect him to give his best against Sri Lanka. Mushfiqur Rahim Mushfique is tactically the best footwork dependent batsman in Bangladesh. Arguably, he is the best batsman in the last 5-6 years. He has the ability to handle all types of swing and score runs. In the last match against Pakistan, he scored 64 runs from 87 balls, and before that, he scored 25 runs from 15 balls against the Afghans. On top of that, his wicket keeping skills also helped Bangladesh in different situations. So, it is evident that Mushfiqur will surely continue his performance in the next match. Read more: ICC World Cup 2023 Warm-up Schedule: Full fixture list, match timings and venues Key Sri Lankan Players to Watch Matheesha Pathirana The right-arm first bowler destroyed Bangladesh’s innings in the first group stage match as he took four wickets, including Shakib and Mushfique’s wicket. He also took one wicket in the next match against the Afghans. So, he might emerge as dangerous against Bangladesh again. Charith Asalanka He has been pretty consistent in this Asia Cup, as he scored 62 against Bangladesh and 36 against the Afghans. So, fans will have an eye on him with an expectation. Overall, he played 37 ODI matches for Sri Lanka and scored 1191 runs in total, with 110 highest score. Hence, we are expecting that Asalanka will have an impact on the next match in Sri Lanka’s middle order. Final Word Sri Lanka clearly has a competitive edge in the next Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage match. On top of that, Sri Lanka will play in their home ground, which will be a great confidence boost for them. Bangladesh played Sri Lanka after two years on August 31, and the Lankans showed their strength. Considering the Bangladesh team’s current situation and form in the Asia Cup, winning against the Lankans will be difficult for the Tigers. Read more: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Live Streaming Asia Cup 2023: Where and How to watch live streaming, Probable Playing 11

The 2023 Asia Cup is in full swing, and now it’s time for the Group B matches to begin. Two strong teams from South Asia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, are getting ready to face each other. The Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka match will take place on August 31 at 3:30 pm at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. While the Bangladesh team is aiming to win their first-ever Asia Cup, the Sri Lankan side is the second most successful team after India. However, Bangladesh have good records against Sri Lanka in recent matches. Let’s see more in this BAN vs SL 1st ODI Asia Cup 2023 match preview. Preview of Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 ODI Banglades selected a team of 17 players two weeks ago. Among them, five players – Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib – were part of the Under-19 World Cup-winning team in 2020. Ebadot Hossain was initially included in the squad, but he won’t be able to play due to a lingering injury. Unfortunately, the 29-year-old fast bowler had to withdraw from the tournament. On the other hand, experienced all-rounder Mahmudullah, despite taking part in the preliminary fitness camp, has once again not been included in the Bangladesh team. Litton Das was supposed to go to Sri Lanka later as he was suffering from viral fever. But he was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 as he is not fit yet and has no chance to play in any of the matches. Hence, the Bangladesh Cricket Board needed to do a swift reshuffle in the Bangladesh squad. Anamul Haque Bijoy has been included in the team as Litton’s replacement. With a wealth of experience under his belt, Anamul has participated in 44 ODIs, amassing a total of 1254 runs, which includes three centuries. His most recent appearance in a Bangladesh ODI was in December 2022 when he took on India on the cricket field. The Sri Lankan team had to make changes to their original Asia Cup squad because of injuries to Dilshan Madhushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Lahiru Kumara. This is a major setback for Sri Lanka’s bowling team because these four players are really important for the head coach Chris Silverwood’s plans and strategies to win. The team is currently facing fitness issues with these players, and that’s why they haven’t yet chosen new players to replace them or officially declared the final squad. Read more: Prospects of Bangladesh in 2023 Asia Cup ODI Tournament Bangladesh’s Probable XI Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. Sri Lanka’s Probable XI Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana and Kasun Rajitha. Read more: Asia Cup 2023 Fixtures: Team List, Schedule, and Venues Recent Performance of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka After winning 2-0 in a series against Ireland on foreign soil, the Bangladesh cricket team came back home in June 2023 to play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. However, things didn’t go well for the Tigers in this series. They faced a painful defeat on their home ground, losing both of the first matches. Bangladesh’s previous Asia Cup journey was also disappointing. In the last tournament, they couldn’t even win a single match in the group stage, which led to their elimination. In contrast, Sri Lanka had a really good time in the 2022 Asia Cup. They did very well and became the champions of this important tournament for the first time since 2014. The Sri Lankan team’s most recent 50-over match was in July 2023, when they went to Zimbabwe to take part in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. They won this qualification title convincingly by beating the Netherlands by 128 runs, and they were unbeatable throughout the tournament. Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Head to Head Records So Far Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are seen as top teams in one-day international cricket these days. However, when they have played against each other, Sri Lanka were usually much stronger. Sri Lanka have been clearly in control against Bangladesh, winning 40 times. While Bangladesh have shown improvement in recent times, they have won only 10 out of the 51 matches they have played against Sri Lanka. Read more: Asia Cup 2023: Six Players in Bangladesh ODI Squad to Watch Key Players of BAN vs SL 1st ODI Match in the 2023 Asia Cup  Shakib Al Hasan The Bangladesh team still depends a lot on this experienced all-rounder because of his remarkable skills. Despite being 36 years old, he was among the top 5 players for both runs scored and wickets taken in the series against Afghanistan. He was the only Bangladeshi bowler who managed to take at least one wicket in all three matches. The Bangladesh team has many young players, especially in the batting lineup. So, it’s going to be crucial for the captain to bring stability to the team’s performance in the middle of the game. And Shakib is fully capable of that. Maheesh Theekshana With the star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga not available, the responsibility of leading Sri Lanka’s spin attack will fall on the shoulders of this 23-year-old off-break bowler.  Read more: Asia Cup 2023: Analysis of Bangladesh ODI Squad Theekshana had a fantastic performance in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. He took 21 wickets in just 8 matches, making him the second-most successful bowler in the tournament. His average was really low at 12.19 runs per wicket. He even achieved a hat-trick of 4-wicket hauls in the final match against the Netherlands. He had previously accomplished this against Zimbabwe and West Indies as well. Who Will Win? Sri Lanka’s challenge in putting together their best bowling lineup could give Bangladesh’s batting team a chance to go on the offensive. But even with this, Sri Lanka is in a good position with a higher chance of winning. They have the advantage of being in good form and playing on their home ground. Final Words Sri Lanka are the current champion of the Asia Cup. Lately, Sri Lanka have been doing really well in ODI cricket. They performed incredibly well in the ICC Men’s World Cup Qualifiers, where they didn’t lose any matches and ended up winning the tournament. Because of this, the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh match will be highly competitive, as the Bangladesh team is also in good form. Although Bangladesh came from a 2-1 loss against Afghanistan, the Tigers seem to be confident before leaving for Asia Cup 2023. Read more: Predictions: Who will win Asia Cup 2023?

Bangladesh needed to score 41 runs in seven overs after a long delay due to rain. Still, the hosts failed to do that, and Sri Lanka registered an incredible win in the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup in Sylhet today. Sri Lanka batted first and they were at 83 for five when the rain started. Bangladesh’s new target 41 was set by the DL Method. Bangladesh started well despite losing quick wickets. Murshida Khatun scored only one while her opening partner scored 5. Read: ‘We need to improve’, Shakib says after another batting disaster Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana was hanging on in the middle but she couldn't avoid a defeat. In the last two overs, Bangladesh needed 12 runs. In the sixth over, Inoka Ranaweera scalped three wickets and a run-out was there too. Suddenly, Bangladesh’s target stood at 11 in the last over which was never achieved as the hosts tumbled to 37 for seven in seven overs. Bangladesh lost the match by three runs. It was Bangladesh’s third defeat in five matches so far. They will take on the UAE in their last match in the first phase. India have confirmed a place in the semifinals with five wins in six matches in the first phase while Pakistan and Sri Lanka have also booked a place each in the semifinals. If Bangladesh can beat the UAE in their last match, they will also qualify for the semis.  

The Asia Cup cricket 2022 will begin with the group phase contest. Six teams will be divided into two groups, each containing three. India, Pakistan and the winner of the qualifier will play in Group A. On the other hand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will play in Group B, which is considered the group of death. The Asia Cup 2022 Group B preview is discussed in this article. Asia Cup Cricket 2022: Group B Preview Finishing in the top two in the Group B points table will be a real challenge as all are well capable of advancing to the Super Four phase. A fiercely contested battle is expected in all three matches in this group. Let’s take a closer look at each squad in this group. Bangladesh   The Bangladesh cricket team’s recent T20 performances have been unimpressive. Their two T20I victories this year have come against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, respectively. They even failed to win a series against the Zimbabwean team a few weeks ago. Read Asia Cup Cricket: India holds historical edge over Pakistan So, the Bangladesh team is not heading to the Asia Cup with their best of form. Appointing Shakib Al Hasan as captain and hiring Sridharan Sriram as technical consultant are two good decisions the BCB made prior to the tournament. However, as per recent form, Bangladesh will not start as the favourite to finish in the top two in Group B. Strengths Having Shakib Al Hasan as captain could be Bangladesh’s main strength in the tournament. The Shakib-led Bangladesh team is expected to be rejuvenated during the main event. His decision-making ability, game awareness and leadership qualities are compared to none at the moment in Bangladesh. Besides, spinners can play a vital role in the middle overs to check the run flow of the opposition. Weaknesses The Bangladesh team has two major weaknesses in the T20 format of cricket. The team doesn’t have an established opening pair, and there is no proper power hitter for the death overs. It remains to be seen how they will address the deficiencies during the Asia Cup. Multiple sources have claimed that Shakib wants Mushfiqur Rahim to open the innings. The selectors recalled Sabbir Rahman to play the power hitting role in the middle order. Read Asia Cup 2022: 12 Key Players to Watch in the Tournament T20 Records against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan Bangladesh have a poor T20 record against both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The team Tigers has won only four matches and lost eight against Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Bangladesh have three victories and five losses against Afghanistan. Predicted Playing XI: Top-Order: Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket-keeper), Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan (captain); Middle-Order: Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddeck Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin; Lower-Order: Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed Sri Lanka Sri Lanka have played eleven Twenty20 matches this year, eight against Australia and three against India. They have won two matches and both came against Australia. So, playing against tough opposition will boost Sri Lanka’s confidence ahead of the group stage clashes. The Lankan side will start as favourites to finish top in Group B. Read Shakib Al Hasan: Expectations from Bangladesh’s T20 captain in Asia Cup 2022 Strengths Over the last one year, the cricket world has witnessed some seriously talented T20 format cricketers from Sri Lanka. They have some individual match-winners, which is their biggest strength. Among them, all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga will top the list. Besides, Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and hard-hitter Dasun Shanaka are some of Sri Lanka’s top performers in recent series. Weaknesses Most of the Lankan players don’t have enough international experience. Besides, constructing a match-winning playing XI could be a major concern for them. T20 Records against Afghanistan and Bangladesh Sri Lanka have won eight matches against Bangladesh and lost four. On the other hand, Sri Lanka won the only T20 game they played against Afghanistan in 2016. Predicted Playing XI Top-Order: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka,  Middle-Order: Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wicket-keeper), Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne,  Lower-Order: Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama. Read Asia Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh National Men’s T20 Cricket Squad Afghanistan Afghanistan have won the majority of their T20 matches this year. However, all of their fixtures were against weaker opponents. They have some T20 specialist players who have the ability to change the scenario of a match on their own. Afghanistan will start as the second favourite to qualify for the Super Four round from this group. Strengths     Afghanistan have some of the best T20 format spinners in their squad. Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Rashid Khan are all world-class bowlers. Besides, their captain, Nabi, is the current world No. 1 all-rounder. He would probably be the most vital player for the Afghan side. They have some quality power hitters as well, and one of them is Hazratullah Zazai. Weaknesses The Afghanistan team sometimes tends to lose grip whenever they face any tough opposition. The Afghan players have to develop patience and a steady approach to have a solid performance against stronger opponents. T20 Records against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Afghanistan have won five matches against Bangladesh and lost three. On the other hand, Afghanistan lost the only T20 match they played against Sri Lanka in 2016. Read Asia Cup 2022: Who are favourites to lift the trophy? Predicted Playing XI Top-Order: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran,  Middle-Order: Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan,  Lower-Order: Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi Asia Cup 2022: Full Fixtures of Group B The Asia Cup of Cricket 2022 will kick off with the Group B match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Here are the fixtures for Group B. Date: 27 August | Match: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan | Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium  Date: 30 August | Match: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan | Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium  Date: 1 September | Match: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium  Verdict According to the Asia Cup 2022 Group B preview, Bangladesh will not begin the match as the favourites to advance to the next round. However, if the Shakib Al Hasan-led Tigers T20 team can reach their full potential during the competition, they have the ability to shock everyone. The favourites in this group, the Sri Lankan campaign is in full confidence, especially following a strong performance in their most recent T20 series against Australia. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has a reputation for being a deadly T20 team and is innately confident in their ability to defeat anyone. Bangladesh must thus work hard to defeat these two confident teams to secure a spot in the Super Four. 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Bangladesh ended their first innings of the Dhaka Test against Sri Lanka with 365 runs on the score board on Tuesday, riding on the tons by Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das, despite a disastrous start. The centurions started the day aiming to add as many runs as possible to the board on day two. But Liton fell early in the eighth over of the day. Read: Day 2 of Dhaka Test: Liton, Mosaddek depart early Kasun Rajitha removed Liton for 141, his best in the format, and in the same over, he dismissed Mosaddek Hossain Saikat as well who got the chance in the playing XI in the absence of an injured Nayeem Hasan.

Mushfiqur Rahim, one of the mainstays of the Bangladesh batting line, smashed another ton in the ongoing two-match series against Sri Lanka on Monday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Read: Liton hits ton to guide Tigers Mushfiqur completed his third ton against Sri Lanka off 218 balls, punching Ramesh Mendis to the backward point for a single. After reaching the ton, the batter jumped, threw a punch to the air, performed a sajda and hugged his partner Liton Das, who also hit a ton in the same partnership, before showing the bat to the spectators.

The Sher-e-Bangla cricket stadium will host the second match of the ongoing Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test series. After the first match ended in a draw, the BAN vs SL 2nd Test 2022 is expected to be a tense affair. The series will be determined by the outcome of the Mirpur match. Bangladesh have never won a Test series against Sri Lanka at home, therefore this will be a golden opportunity for them. Let's take a look at the second Test match preview. 2022 Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Second Test: Match Preview The series' second match will be played at the SBNCS in Dhaka, with a 10 a.m. start time (Bangladesh Start Time). The Mirpur stadium is known for its sluggish pitch, which helps spinners from the start, especially in the longer version of cricket. One can imagine how difficult a pitch may become for batters on days 4 to 5. This pitch has seen some memorable encounters, with two of Bangladesh's biggest Test triumphs happening here. This ground has also seen most of Bangladesh's Test triumphs. As a result, the Bangladesh team should be optimistic heading into the BAN vs SL second Test 2022. Read Mushfiqur to skip West Indies series to perform hajj Bangladesh Bangladesh's top three Test run scorers, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, and Shakib Al Hasan are the only players to have scored over 1,000 Test runs at this venue. These players know how to score big on Mirpur's surfaces, and the good news is that they will all be available for the second Test. Top five most Test run scorers at SBNCS, Mirpur Player Innings Runs HS Ave 100s Shakib Al Hasan 33 1409 144 45.45 1 Mushfiqur Rahim 37 1302 219* 40.68 2 Tamim Iqbal 33 1260 151 38.18 2 Mominul Haque 21 883 161 44.15 3 Mahmudullah Riyad 20 796 136 44.22 2    Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ Read Sri Lanka hold firm to end Chattogram Test in a draw Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam will have to shoulder the most of the burden in bowling, as both off-spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan will be unavailable due to injury. The good news is that Shakib and Taijul are two of the most prolific wicket-takers at this arena, and they may be a nightmare for the Lankans. Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed will have to demonstrate some talent and consistency with the ball because Shoriful Islam will not be playing. Top five most Test wicket-takers at SBNCS, Mirpur Player Innings Wickets BBI Ave 5W Shakib Al Hasan 30 63 6/59 32.03 7 Taijul Islam 19 54 8/39 23.59 2 Mehidy Hasan Miraz 13 41 7/58 17.92 5 Zaheer Khan 4 17 7/87 13.94 2 Shahadat Hossain 16 16 6/27 50.12 1     Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ Read BAN vs SL First Test 2022: Four key Takeaways for Bangladesh Predicted playing XI Top Order: Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Middle-Orders: Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (Wicket-Keeper), Mosaddek Hossain, Lower-Order: Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Sri Lanka The experienced Angelo Mathews produced a superb knock in the first Test. His 199-run innings aided Sri Lanka's first-innings total. On the other hand, Dinesh Chandimal had a strong showing in the first Test, playing two crucial knocks in the match. These two players, as well as captain Dimuth Karunaratne, will be crucial for Sri Lanka's batting order. The Lankan team will be hoping for responsible batting in their second innings, which could be difficult on Mirpur's surface. The Pacers Kasun Rajitha and Asitha Fernando did well with the ball in the first Test. Kasun claimed four wickets, while Asitha captured three. The management of the Sri Lankan team will be expecting another strong performance from them in the series decider. On the other hand, spinners had a difficult time in the opening match at Chattogram. They were all cost-effective, but they didn't obtain enough wickets. Perhaps Bangladesh batters were wary of them. Though, these three spinners may be lethal on SBNCS wicket. Their performance will be crucial to the Sri Lankan campaign.  Read IPL 2022: Who will make the playoffs from Delhi and Bangalore? Predicted Playing XI Top Order: Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Middle-Orders: Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Lower-Order: Asitha Fernando, Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando Pitch Report and Weather Forecast According to weather reports, rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the first two days of the match. On the other hand, the following three days are expected to be bright and suitable for cricket matches. The SBNCS, Mirpur, is great for spinners, particularly in the latter two days. Therefore, there will be a lot of spin bowling during the contest. The toss-winning captain is likely to bat first to put pressure on the opponent. Bottom Line Bangladesh have a fantastic opportunity to win a Test series against Sri Lanka for the first time. As a result, Bangladesh should enter the field with the goal of winning the BAN vs SL 2nd Test 2022. They were unable to create a substantial advantage in the first innings of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram due to their defensive approach. Overall, the hosts have enough strength to defeat the visitors. So, they should be able to win both the match and the series against Sri Lanka if Bangladesh can execute their game plan well on the field. Read 5000 Test Runs: Foremost Cricketers to Reach the Milestone From Respective Teams

The ZACS Chattogram surface was suitable for batters for the first four days, and it was predicted before the BAN vs SL first Test 2022. The spinners found a groove from the last session of day 4 to the end of day 5. The first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ended in a draw, with little excitement among neutral supporters. However, fans in Bangladesh celebrated Mushfiqur Rahim's achievement of becoming the country's first player to surpass 5,000 Test runs. Here are five major takeaways for Bangladesh from the first match. First Test Match Report: BAN vs SL Series 2022   Sri Lanka understandably opted to bat first in the first Test in Chattogram, and they made 397 runs. Veteran Angelo Mathews was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who guided the innings by playing a 199-run knock. Besides, Kusal Mendis (54) and Dinesh Chandimal (66) also had good contributions with the bat. Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan picked up six wickets for the hosts. In reply, Bangladesh were all-out for 465 in the third session of day 4. Tamim Iqbal (133), and Mushfiqur Rahim (105) both scored centuries. It was a special match for Mushfiqur as he reached his 5,000 Test runs milestone. Apart from them, Mahmudul Hasan Joy (58) and Litton Das (88) made two valuable contributions with the bat for the Tigers. Medium-pacer Kasun Rajitha picked up the highest 4 wickets for the Lankan side. Bangladesh did manage to pick up a couple of wickets before the end of day 4 and four more wickets in the second session of day 5. However, an unbeaten 99*-run partnership between Dinesh Chandimal (39) and Niroshan Dickwella (61) saved the match for the visitors. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne (52) also made a fifty for his side. In Sri Lanka's second innings, left-arm orthodox spinner Taijul Islam bagged four wickets for Bangladesh. Angelo Mathews won the Player of the Match award for his outstanding contribution with the bat in the first innings. Major Outcomes for Bangladesh from the First Test of the Series The series-opening match against Sri Lanka produced some notable outcomes for Bangladesh. The majority of the discussion topics revolve around batting since the batters dominated most of the contest. Read: Shoriful ruled out of second Test vs Sri Lanka Mushfiqur Rahim Hits the 5000 Test Runs Milestone Bangladesh’s big takeaway from the match was Mushfiqur Rahim’s 5,000 runs milestone in the Test format. He became the first Bangladeshi player to achieve the feat by scoring 105 runs in the first innings of Bangladesh. Though Tamim had a chance to reach the landmark before Mushfiqur, he retired hurt on 133 due to a muscle strain. At that moment, Tamim was 19 runs away from scoring his 5,000 Test runs. Mushfiqur Rahim was under pressure prior to this series for not being able to play to his full potential. He was even warned by BCB's president that the selectors may consider dropping Mushfiqur if his barren run with the bat continues. So, it was a perfect response by Bangladesh’s most dependable batter. Overall, Mushfiqur Rahim has scored 5,037 runs in 81 matches with an average of 36.76. In Tests, he has a total of 825 fifties. Top five most runs for Bangladesh in Tests Player Match Runs HS Ave 100s Mushfiqur Rahim 81 5,037 219* 36.76 8 Tamim Iqbal 66 4,981 206 40.16 10 Shakib Al Hasan 60 4,055 217 39.36 5 Mominul Haque 52 3,516 181 39.06 11 Habibul Bashar 50 3,026 113 30.87 3     Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ Tamim Iqbal’s Aggressive Hundred Tamim made 133 off 218 balls in Bangladesh's first innings, striking the ball at a rate of 61. It was his 10th Test century and 25 overall. Tamim Iqbal has changed his batting style in the longer-version format in recent years. He is now more aggressive than he used to be and always tries to attack the opposition bowling attack. That is why Tamim’s strike rate over the last five years has been one of the best in the world. He has had the third-best strike rate among the openers (minimum 10 innings) in the Test format since 2017. Top five best strike rates by the openers since 2017 (at least 10 innings)  Player Innings Runs Strike Rates HS 100s Shikhar Dhawan (India) 19 851 83.75 190 3 Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka) 14 307 65.73 64 0 Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh) 41 1593 64.07 133 2 David Warner (Australia) 63 2660 61.50 335* 7 Aiden Markram (South Africa) 53 1900 59.33 152 5    Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ Nayeem Hasan has the potential to replace Mehidy Hasan Miraz Nayeem Hasan had a great outing in this match, coming on to replace the injured Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The off-spinner made his Test debut almost four years ago against the West Indies in 2018. Since then, he has taken 31 wickets in 8 matches, including his career-best 6/105 against Sri Lanka in the first innings of the first Test in Chattogram. Nayeem’s bowling in the first innings was sparkling and caused real trouble for the Lankan batters. More importantly, most of his wickets were crucial. After this strong showing with the ball, Nayeem has definitely established a genuine case for himself with the selectors to consider him regularly for the longer-version format. If not, he should be the first choice if Mehidy Miraz falls victim to any injury in the future. Read: Chattogram Test: Bangladesh in driving seat Bangladesh's defensive batting strategy on the fourth day Since the pitch was suited to the batters, it was anticipated that runs would score in the first match. Expectedly, the batters did flourish from day 1 to day 4, as 901 runs had been scored for the loss of 22 wickets, averaging 225.25 runs per day. However, the run rate came down to 2.58 on day 4, which indicates players took a cautious approach to their batting. Since Bangladesh batted the whole day on day four, except for the last 17 overs, the blame should go to the home side in case of lower run rates. Mushfiqur Rahim, who was praised for reaching his 5,000 Test runs milestone on that particular day, was the main culprit for low run rates. Rahim had to play 285 balls for his 105 runs on a relatively very good batting surface. One can argue that the Bangladesh team should blame themselves for not creating a winning situation because of their defensive batting approach. Aftermath Bangladesh played safe and earned a draw in the BAN vs SL first Test 2022. The Tigers' team campaign had set the expectation that they would strive for a win against a relatively inexperienced Lankan side. However, Bangladesh did not appear worried about winning the match at any stage throughout the game. They took a defensive approach and got the outcome they wanted. Bangladesh should adjust its strategy for the second Test in Dhaka. The pitches at Mirpur would be more favorable to spinners, therefore the match should produce a result.