ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023: Can Bangladesh register their first-ever win against Sri Lanka in World Cups?
By the time Sri Lanka could recover from the disappointment of the defeat that they suffered at the hands of Afghanistan by seven wickets, they were soon annihilated by India after getting bowled out for a paltry 55 and losing by a mammoth margin of 302 runs. The wounds of these two defeats would be fresh in the Sri Lankan camp. However, it would be interesting to see if they come out stronger in their next match against Bangladesh or take the ground with self-confidence hitting all time low.
Bangladesh, with nothing to lose, is expected to play a fearless brand of cricket and add to the miserly of the island nation. In match number 38 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the two teams will lock horns against each other on November 6 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Delhi is experiencing poor air quality and there are reports that the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka could be abandoned.
Head-to-Head
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have played 53 ODIs against each other since 1986, of which Bangladesh have won nine, Sri Lanka have won 42, and two matches did not produce results. In India, they have played two ODIs against each other, and Sri Lanka have won both. At the World Cups, they have faced off three times and Sri Lanka have emerged victorious on all occasions.
| Particulars | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka |
| ICC ODI Rankings | 8 | 7 |
| Wins in ODIs | 9 | 42 |
| In India | 0 | 2 |
| At World Cups | 0 | 3 |
Performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 so far..
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will play their eighth match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Of the seven matches, Bangladesh have won just the one and are eliminated from the tournament, while Sri Lanka have won two, and have a chance, albeit the bleakest of the bleak, to qualify for the knock outs. Both teams have won their matches chasing the target.
| Match number | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka |
| 1 | Beat Afghanistan by 6 wickets | Lost to South Africa by 102 runs |
| 2 | Lost to England by 137 runs | Lost to Pakistan by 6 wickets |
| 3 | Lost to New Zealand by 8 wickets | Lost to Australia by 5 wickets |
| 4 | Lost to India by 7 wickets | Beat Netherlands by 5 wickets |
| 5 | Lost to South Africa by 149 runs | Beat England by 8 wickets |
| 6 | Lost to Netherlands by 87 runs | Lost to Afghanistan by 7 wickets |
| 7 | Lost to Pakistan by 7 wickets | Lost to India by 302 runs |
Squads
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Kumer Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Angelo Mathews, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne
Injury updates
There are no injury concerns for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Playing conditions
Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host the encounter between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It will be a day night match. The venue will host its fifth and last match of this tournament. The teams batting first have won three of the four matches. The highest total scored here is 428 and the lowest is 90. The conditions will be good for batting for most part of the day. However, the spinners could get some help from the pitch due to its wear and tear, if the game is played on the used strip.
Weather
The weather is expected to be hazy. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 30 degrees Celsius. There will be no cloud cover and no chance of rain. The wind will blow from the north-northwest.
Players to watch out for
Mahmudullah: The right-handed middle-order batter of Bangladesh is the leading run getter for his team with 274 runs in five innings at an average of 69 and strike rate of 89. Besides, he can contribute with the ball, bowling right arm off spin.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz: Bangladesh’s all-rounder has been impressive with the ball, claiming nine wickets in seven matches. With the bat, he has contributed with 169 runs, including one half century.
Sadeera Samarawickrama: This Sri Lanka’s right-handed middle order batter is the only batter from his team to score 300+ runs. He has muscled 331 runs in seven matches at an average of 66 and strike rate of 103.
Dilshan Madhushanka: The left-arm pace sensation has been the only silver lining for Sri Lanka in this World Cup. He has scalped 18 wickets in seven matches, including one fifer and a four-fer.
Milestones alert
- Shakib Al Hasan needs 12 runs to complete 7500 ODI runs
- Litton Das needs 25 runs to complete 2500 ODI runs
- Najmul Hossain Shanto needs 5 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
- Maheesh Theekshana needs 3 wickets to complete 50 ODI wickets
- Angelo Mathews needs 100 runs to complete 6000 ODI runs
- Kusal Mendis needs 16 runs to complete 3500 ODI runs
- Charith Asalanka needs 56 runs to complete 1500 ODI runs
- Sadeera Samarawickrama needs 54 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Match details
Date: November 6, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM IST
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Live streaming: Star Sports, Hotstar
All the statistics are sourced from ESPN Cricinfo