Match Preview: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup 2023 Venue and Pitch Conditions

The second match of the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2023 will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, September 9, 2023. The pitch at this venue is known to be spin-friendly, offering decent grip and turn throughout the game. The ball stays a bit low, and the batters usually struggle to get going on this surface. There could also be some variable bounce, so the batters should spend some time in the middle to put up big scores.

The average score batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium is 225. So, the captain winning the toss may also look to follow the pattern of getting runs on the board and use the slowing wicket to their advantage. Although teams batting first have performed admirably at the venue, it won’t be surprising if the toss-winners bowl first, considering overcast conditions and the possibility of DLS playing a vital role in the second half.

Weather Forecast

The weather conditions in Colombo are partly cloudy, with a little chance of precipitation and cricket admirers anticipate play to take place without interruptions. The temperature is expected to stay around 29°C and the humidity level is around 82% . The wind speed is expected to be around 26 kmph.

Team Form and Head-to-Head Record

Sri Lanka are unbeaten in the tournament so far, while Bangladesh have lost their last match to Pakistan by a huge margin. This will be the second meeting between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the ongoing Asia Cup. In their group stage meeting at Pallekele Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka bundled out Bangladesh for 164 and chased the target down with 5 wickets and 11 overs to spare.

Sri Lanka have a great record at the R. Premadasa Stadium, where they have won 74 out of 120 matches. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have lost all their previous 11 matches at the venue. However, Bangladesh will hope to bounce back and keep their hopes of final spot alive.

Key Players

Some of the key players to watch out for in this match are:

• Dasun Shanaka: The Sri Lankan captain has been leading from the front with both bat and ball. He has scored 153 runs in four matches at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 105. He has also taken six wickets at an economy rate of 4.75.
• Shakib Al Hasan: The Bangladesh all-rounder is one of the best players in the world. He has scored 137 runs in four matches at an average of 34.25 and a strike rate of 87. He has also taken seven wickets at an economy rate of 5.06.
• Wanindu Hasaranga: The Sri Lankan leg-spinner has been a revelation in this tournament. He has taken 11 wickets in four matches at an average of 10.09 and an economy rate of 4.36. He has also scored 66 runs at a strike rate of 122.
• Mushfiqur Rahim: The Bangladesh wicket-keeper batsman is one of the most experienced players in the team. He has scored 152 runs in four matches at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 91. He has also effected six dismissals behind the stumps.

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