BAN vs SL Player Battle, Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Key Player Battle for Asia Cup 2023 Match 2, Asia Cup 2023 BAN vs SL Player Battle, Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Match Asia Cup 2023, Shakib Al Hasan vs Maheesh Theekshana Player Battle, Dhananjaya de Silva vs Taskin Ahmed Player Battle.
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Bangladesh ensured direct qualification for the upcoming ODI World Cup as they were among the top 7 teams during the cut-off date. Sri Lanka on the other hand had to take the longer route for qualification. They had to play the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe to book a berth. Lanka did that in style winning the qualifiers comfortably.
They will come up against a not-so-friendly foe in recent times in their first game of the Asia Cup. The rivalry between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has added a definite edge to the tournament.
Can Bangladesh handle the pressure of expectations?
Bangladesh is one of the better ODI sides currently. They have defeated established sides like Pakistan, India, and South Africa at home. Bangladesh managed to get the better of top teams even in major ICC ODI tournaments. They have players who play solid cricket for a long period of time. What they lack in firepower, they make up with consistency. Their varied bowling attack poses a variety of questions to opponents. They will miss the services of Ebadot Hossain who was growing into becoming their pace spearhead.
Can Sri Lanka manage to offset the injury upsets?
The Sri Lankan side was firing on all cylinders in the lead up to this tournament. They remained unbeaten right throughout the World Cup qualifiers. Their spinners exerted control and dominance in equal measure. The openers and middle-order batted cohesively. But right before the start of the tournament, Sri Lanka has been laid low with injuries. Four of their frontline bowlers have been ruled out with injuries. It will be a test of their character as to how they respond to this injury crisis in this tournament.
We look at the BAN vs SL Player Battle For Second Match Of Asia Cup 2023:
#1 Shakib Al Hasan vs Maheesh Theekshana Player Battle
He is the world’s number one allrounder. Shakib Al Hasan has carried his side’s weight on his shoulders for a decade and a half. He will captain the side in the tournament. In the absence of Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh will rely hugely on his experience to navigate them through difficult phases. He needs to be on top of his game to counter the guile of Maheesh Theekshana. The Lankan spinner is yet to find his feet in ODI cricket against quality teams. But expect him to come up with his bag of tricks against a seasoned campaigner like Shakib.
#2 Dhananjaya de Silva vs Taskin Ahmed Player Battle
Sri Lanka has an array of batters who are flamboyant. They often chose to play a brand of cricket that might not be the need of the hour. Dhananjaya de Silva is an exception to this rule. He is one of the most stylish batters in the team yet he values his wicket a bit more as compared to the others. Lanka will need Silva’s calm head in the middle overs when he comes up against Taskin Ahmed. The Bangla seamer is known to bag crucial wickets. It might well be this battle that dictates the outcome of the game.
