Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh, who will win this match? Both teams are starting their Asia Cup campaigns on 31 August 2023 at Pallekelle. Pakistan is hosting the Asia Cup this time, but the hybrid model has allowed the Lankans to host some matches on their home soil. So, you can say that Sri Lanka will also have some home advantage. But is that enough?
Read: Asia Cup Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh Match 2 Live streaming [Watch here]
In this article, we will try to predict the match with different factors in mind. The pitch will play a huge role. But there is a head-to-head record as well. Let’s see what the match report is.
Pitch conditions
The pitch has always favored the batters. And once there is some wear and tear on the surface, the second innings become easy for spinners to showcase their skillset. This means that the toss becomes important in this match.
Read: Asia Cup 2023 Points Table
We must remember that teams batting second have a higher win rate here. However, that means you will rely on batters. But this has been a dilemma for Sri Lanka. Let’s have a detailed discussion in the next section.
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How will the conditions impact both teams?
Sri Lanka is technically the best side in this match. They have the home advantage, and they are coming back from the qualifiers by cleans sweeping every team. But injuries have made things difficult for them.
Read: Sri Lankan Squad for Asia Cup 2023
Sri Lanka relies heavily on its bowlers, but most are out of the squad now due to injuries. While Bangladesh also lost Litton Das and Ebadot due to this issue.
Check: Asia Cup – Bangladesh Squad 2023
Bangladesh will have a better chance because the conditions are batting-friendly in Pallekelle. Sri Lanka is struggling with its batting lineup.
Head-to-head record
So far, both teams have only played once in Pallekelle, and Bangladesh won that match. But Sri Lanka has an immaculate record against Bangladesh. They have a win rate of almost 82% against the Bengal Tigers.
This means that Sri Lanka should technically win this match. But can they?
Key players
If we look at Sri Lanka, most of its key bowlers are out of the match. Wanindu Hasaranga was one of their crucial players, but he won’t be there. It all comes down to Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis. Although the Lankans have struggled with the bat, these players have always been the driving force in the batting department.
Bangladesh has its fair share of trouble as well. Litton Das is out, and Ebadot won’t be playing. We cannot depend on Tamim as well. But so far, they have experienced players who can anchor them to victory.
Who will win? Match predictions
From all the discussion, you must have gotten where we are going. Although Bangladesh has a bad record against Sri Lanka, they are the favorites to win this match. They have emerged as one of the decent sides in ODI cricket lately. While Sri Lanka never really managed to spring up from the retirements of Sanga and Mahela. Malinga was one of their only star players remaining.
It all comes down to the shoulders of less experienced players. We can safely say that Bangladesh can win this match.