Preview, SL vs BAN | Bangladesh aim to turn new leaf as series begins with T20 World Cup looming large

Last Wednesday at 5:46 PM

Bangladesh have lost both their series, against UAE and Pakistan, since naming Litton Das as T20I captain

Litton Das will be under pressure to deliver his first series win as full-time Bangladesh T20I skipper when he takes on Sri Lanka in the first of three T20Is, at Pallekele on Thursday. Both teams will have an eye on the World Cup set to be played in the island nation itself in seven months' time.

Since the World Cup in the Caribbean and Americas last year, both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have managed to win just four T20Is in 12 and 11 attempts respectively. Circumstances have been particularly dire for the Tigers, who in this period have lost a series in the United Arab Emirates 2-1 as well as have been whitewashed brutally by Pakistan in their latest outing. As a result, the side have fallen to 10th in the ICC rankings, behind Afghanistan and only slightly ahead of Ireland and Zimbabwe. Coincidentally, the only series win for both the Lankans and Bangladesh in the last 12 months has come against the West Indies, with the Tigers' victory coming away from home.

It is no surprise then that both teams have made a slew of changes as they search for the perfect combination ahead of the global event, with the Tigers making the big call of dropping former skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto. Sri Lanka, contrastingly, have recalled former captain Dasun Shanaka back into the scheme of things after the all-rounder made meaningful contributions with the ball and lower down the order in ILT20. The hosts will also enter the series high on confidence after prevailing in a closely contested ODI series, further bouyed by the favt that they have never lost a bilateral T20I series against Bangladesh.

Form Guide

Sri Lanka's last two T20I series have both come against New Zealand -- the drew against 1-1 against the Kiwis at home last year before conceding a 2-1 defeat Down Under. Bangladesh, meanwhile, are winless in their last five T20Is, having lost all three games in their recent tour of Pakistan following a 2-1 pummelling against the UAE where they had emerged victorious in the first gane if the series.

Sri Lanka: W L L L W

Bangladesh: L L L L L

SL vs BAN Head-to-Head in T20Is

Despite boasting an overall head-to-head deficit of five games, Bangladesh have a better record than their rivals when playing in Sri Lanka, winning three of the five encounters between both nations on the island country. It took the Tigers five attempts to finally register a T20I win over their Asian neighbours, when they emerged triumphant in Mirpur in 2016, and have since won five games against the Lions while losing seven. The last time they met was at the T20 World Cup in Dallas, where Sri Lanka had eked a two-wicket win with an over to spare while chasing 125 on a bowling-friendly track.

Sri Lanka 11-6 Bangladesh

Pitch and Weather

The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy has often been touted as one of the better battinf surfaces in Sri Lanka, with an average first innings score of 173 in T20Is played at the venue since 2020. The team chasing has won on 10 occassions here while the team batting first has clinched 14 encounters, albeit the last six T20Is that have produced a result in regulation time has seen results split between both. If the third ODI on Wednesday is anything to go by, expect seam and swing with the new ball under lights with spinners also having plenty to extract from the deck, while batters who manage to get settled can also pile on the runs -- all in all, expect a well balanced T20 encounter.

As for the weather, there is some rain forecast in the evening in Kandy but all threat should dissipate by the time the match begins. Cloudy skies are likely for the entire stretch of the encounter with the temperature expected to flutter around the 25 degree Centigrade mark.

Team News

Sri Lanka have called back Dunith Wellalage after the spin bowling all-rounder missed out on the New Zealand tour late last year and will likely slot right back into XI given the crucial role spinners play on their home surfaces. Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been dropped from the mix in lieu of fellow medium-pace all-rounders Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne, amongst which the former skipper is likely to get preference due to his hitting capabilities. Perhaps the biggest point of contention would be field which two pacers out of Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, and Eshan Malinga, the latter receiving his maiden T20I call-up.

Bangladesh have decided to move past Shanto in T20Is for the time being which means Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon are likely to remain the incumbent opening duo with Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy to follow. Tanvir Islam has dropped from the squad in a like-to-like swap with Nasum Ahmed whose bowling could reap rewards on the slow Lankan surfaces, while Taskin Ahmed has returned to the mix after finishing as the top wicket-taker in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Sri Lanka Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (c), Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara

Bangladesh Probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Litton Das (c/ wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed