NEW DELHI: The
T20 World Cup
Group D encounter between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at Grand Prairie, Texas, on Friday, witnessed Bangladesh captain
Najmul Hossain Shanto
winning the toss and opting to field first. This decision was influenced by the pitch conditions, which offered potential assistance for the seamers and swing bowlers in the early overs.
Sri Lanka, coming off a disappointing defeat against South Africa in their opening game, made a solitary change to their batting line-up.
Dhananjaya de Silva
replaced
Sadeera Samarawickrama
, aiming to bolster their batting fire-power and provide stability in the middle order.
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On the other hand, Bangladesh entered the match with their first outing of the tournament, having endured an underwhelming warm-up campaign. They suffered a series loss against the USA and a comprehensive 60-run defeat at the hands of India in the warm-up game ahead of the T20 World Cup, raising concerns about their preparedness for the marquee event.
The Grand Prairie surface has been known to offer more bounce and facilitate higher scoring compared to the pitches in New York, where the previous matches were held. Shanto's decision to field first was likely influenced by this factor, as he aimed to exploit any potential movement off the pitch with his bowling attack in the early overs.
Both teams will be eager to secure a crucial victory in this Group D encounter, as they strive to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. Sri Lanka, in particular, will be determined to bounce back from their opening defeat and regain momentum, while Bangladesh will be looking to make a strong start and build confidence.
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w),
Kamindu Mendis
, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga(c), Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das(w), Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Towhid Hridoy,
Shakib Al Hasan
, Mahmudullah, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib
(Inputs from AFP)
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