Bangladesh cricket team is going to play the third and last match on Saturday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium with the aim of winning the T20 series against Sri Lanka for the first time
The match will start at 3:30 PM.
After the first two matches, the series is tied at 1-1. Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 3 runs in a highly contested first match. The Tigers turned around in the second match. Shanto-Litton leveled the series by 8 wickets.
This is the first time that Bangladesh-Sri Lanka are playing a bilateral T20 series of three matches. Sri Lanka have won all three bilateral series between the two teams in the past. The two teams participated in the first bilateral series in 2013. Sri Lanka won the one match series at home by 17 runs.
In 2014, Bangladesh participated in a two-match T20I series with Sri Lanka at home. The Lankans won the two matches by 2 runs and 3 wickets respectively.
In 2018, Bangladesh again hosted Sri Lanka in a two-match T20I series at home. The Tigers lost both the matches of the series by 6 wickets and 75 runs.
This time Bangladesh started under pressure as Sri Lanka started the series with a win. Because the Tigers have not lost any T20 series since 2022. However, after winning the second T20 against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh tasted match victory in the bilateral series for the first time. It turned into a third series decider.
In all, Bangladesh has won 5 matches and lost 10 matches against Sri Lanka in this format.
Since 2022, Bangladesh have won series against UAE, world champions England, Afghanistan and Ireland. The Tigers proved that they are not a weak team in this format by ending the three-match T20I series 1-1 in New Zealand.
The series win against Sri Lanka will give additional motivation to Bangladesh before the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will begin in June in the United States and West Indies.
Captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto led Bangladesh from the front to win the second match after losing the first match. The Tiger team leader contributed to the victory of Bangladesh by playing an impeccable innings of 53 runs off 38 balls. He regained his form with a match-winning innings. Shantar’s off-form in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) raised concerns in the Bangladesh camp.
The visiting Lankans could not put up a big collection due to the great skill of the bowlers. Shanto candidly acknowledged the contribution of the bowlers in winning the second match.
Shanto particularly praised leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for his excellent performance with the ball despite not playing many matches in domestic cricket.
The Tiger captain said, ‘He (Rishad) has definitely improved. His bowling line is good and can bowl consistently in one place. He is working on bowling variations. The way Rishad is bowling, if he can keep it up, he will be able to bowl better in the coming days.’
According to Shanta, the performance of the bowlers will be crucial in the series decider.
Bangladesh has no chance of changing XI. They played with the same eleven in the first two matches. That is why there is a possibility of keeping the same squad in the last match as well.
Sri Lanka made a change in the XI of the second match. Pacer Dilshan Madushanka was included in the team in place of spinner Akila Dhananjaya. Lankans can make changes in the third match as well.
Bangladesh Team: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Liton Das, Enamul Haque Vijay, Naeem Sheikh, Tawhid Hriday, Soumya Sarkar, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shariful Islam, Tanjim Hasan Shakib, Zakir Ali Anik.
Sri Lanka Team: Hasaranga de Silva (captain), Charith Asalanka, Kushal Mendis, Sadira Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Mahesh Thikshana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dikbela, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuyan Thushara, Mathisha Pathirana, Akila Dhanjaya, Binura Fernando , Kamindu Mendes, Aviska Fernando, Jeffrey Vanderse.
