BAN vs SL, 1st T20I – On March 4, Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in the 1st T20I of the Sri Lanka tour at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Sri Lanka has performed admirably in the last five T20 matches, winning three. Bangladesh, with two victories and two losses in their last five games, has shown a decent performance.
In their recent match against New Zealand, Bangladesh, batting after losing the toss, struggled on a challenging pitch and were bowled out for a mere 110. Despite New Zealand facing difficulties in chasing the small target and being at 95/5 after 14.4 overs, rain intervened, and they were declared winners by 17 runs.
Sri Lanka’s previous encounter was against Afghanistan, where Afghanistan chose to bat after winning the toss. It turned out to be a high-scoring affair, with Afghanistan posting 209 runs. Sri Lanka responded strongly, putting up a great fight and coming very close to the target, falling short by just three runs in a thrilling finish.
BAN vs SL, 1st T20I: Match Details
| Date and Time | BAN vs SL, 1st T20I, March 4, 5:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet |
BAN vs SL, 1st T20I: Pitch Report
The Sylhet International Cricket Stadium is known for offering substantial support to spinners, complemented by favorable conditions for fast bowlers. In its history of hosting 10 T20I matches, the average first-innings total has hovered around 149. Given the venue’s trend, the captain winning the toss is likely to choose fielding first, as the chasing teams have emerged victorious in nine out of the 10 fixtures held at this iconic Bangladesh venue.
BAN vs SL, 1st T20I: Team Previews
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is poised to make a comeback to T20I action during the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, marking their return to the format since their December 2023 tour to New Zealand. To reacquaint themselves with T20 cricket, the majority of their players actively participated in the BPL 2024 season, laying the foundation for their forthcoming international season.
The team will be under the leadership of Najmul Hossain Shanto, and it boasts a lineup of in-form batsmen, including Litton Das, Towhid Hridoy, and Mohammad Naim. Notably, all three players amassed over 300 runs during the BPL 2024 season, with Hridoy securing the second spot on the run-scoring charts with an impressive total of 462 runs.
Shoriful Islam emerges as a pivotal figure in the team, having amassed 22 wickets in 12 innings during the BPL 2024 season. This impressive performance not only places him as a key member but also surpasses the legendary Shakib Al Hasan in wicket-taking prowess, despite Shakib’s absence from the series.
Sri Lanka
Guided by the new captain and dynamic all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka secured victories over Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in back-to-back T20I home series earlier this year, both with 2-1 margins.
Despite their recent successes, the Sri Lankan team faces ongoing challenges due to injuries, sidelining key players such as Pathum Nissanka and Dushmantha Chameera for the entire tour. Additionally, the talented batsman Kusal Perera has opted out of the T20I series due to a respiratory infection.
In response to these setbacks, Niroshan Dickwella, an adept wicketkeeper-batsman with 28 T20Is to his credit (the last played in June 2021), has been included in the squad as a replacement.
BAN vs SL, 1st T20I: Probable Playing XIs
Bangladesh: Mohammad Naim, Litton Das (wk), Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Al Islam.
Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana.
BAN vs SL, 1st T20I: Dream11 Team
| Wicketkeepers | Litton Das, Kusal Mendis |
| Batters | Towhid Hridoy, Avishka Fernando, Mohammad Naim |
| All-Rounders | Wanindu Hasaranga, Mahedi Hasan, Angelo Mathews |
| Bowlers | Dilshan Madushanka, Taijul Islam, Maheesh Theekshana |
BAN vs SL, 1st T20I: Captain/Vice- Captain choices
Captain -Wanindu Hasaranga
Vice-Captain – Litton Das
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