Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss in Abu Dhabi and, without much hesitation, chose to bowl first against Bangladesh. The surface is new and looks hard, so the thinking is early assistance for the seamers and, later on, a truer pitch for chasing.
The headline news for Sri Lanka is the comeback of Wanindu Hasaranga following that hamstring strain which kept him out of the Zimbabwe tour. “Hasaranga’s return big boost for SL,” observed former opener Wasim Jaffer on television, adding, “if Sri Lanka click, they could be the dark horses of the tournament.” It is a fairly big endorsement and underlines how central the leg-spinning all-rounder remains to their plans.
Asalanka’s side have gone with three frontline quicks – Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara – and three all-rounders in Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka and Kamindu Mendis. Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage and off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana both sit out, suggesting Sri Lanka feel pace is the more reliable option under lights.
Bangladesh have mirrored that seam-heavy approach but made one change from their win over Hong Kong. Shoriful Islam replaces Taskin Ahmed, giving them a second left-arm angle alongside Mustafizur Rahman. Captain-keeper Litton Das still has two spin-bowling all-rounders – Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain – for middle-overs control.
Co-coach Rangana Herath, speaking just before the toss, stressed the importance of early wickets. “We’ve been good at the back end, but a couple up top makes everything simpler,” he said. Simple words, but they sum up Bangladesh’s current mantra.
Quick teams at a glance
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (capt), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara.
Bangladesh: Litton Das (capt & wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.
Why it matters
Both sides are looking to keep pace with group leaders and avoid the qualification scramble later in the week. Sri Lanka’s batting can look thin if early wickets fall, so the decision to chase may reduce that pressure. Bangladesh, meanwhile, know that runs on the board still count for plenty in knockout-style cricket.
Conditions
Evening humidity is rising, so dew might come into play. Seamers could enjoy swing for the first three or four overs; after that, the track is expected to flatten out. Fielding first is therefore understandable, though chasing can turn tricky if the ball gets wet.
Key match-ups to watch
• Hasaranga v Litton Das: leg-spin against a busy opener – always a contest.
• Mustafizur’s cutters v Sri Lanka’s left-handers: movement off the seam may test patience.
• Pathirana at the death v Hridoy’s power hitting: a young slinger against a developing finisher.
Nothing explosive, nothing over-hyped – just a straightforward, intriguing contest with a whiff of knockout tension.
