SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
In a crucial encounter to secure a spot in the upcoming Champions’ Trophy, Sri Lanka geared up with alterations in their lineup, preparing for a must-win clash against Bangladesh in the penultimate game of the ICC World Cup league stage, which commenced in Delhi on Monday.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hassan, after winning the toss, chose to put Sri Lanka into bat in the well-known batting-friendly Delhi grounds. This ground witnessed Sri Lanka scoring a massive 343 runs against South Africa just a week ago.
“I’d like to field first. This pitch is excellent, as seen in other games. It’s a high-scoring ground, especially with the dew we’ve seen in our training. So, aiming to chase. We’ve made one change, Ranzim Sakid is playing today,” stated Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hassan following the toss.
Expressing his thoughts, Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis shared, “The wicket appears promising. I don’t mind batting first; I’m comfortable with that. It’s a great opportunity for our batting unit. We aim to set a strong score and defend it.”
“Batting is our priority. We’re eyeing a significant total on this pitch, aiming for more than 300 runs. We’ve made two changes – Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Janith Perera are playing in place of Dushan Hemantha and Dimuth Karunaratne,” added Kusal Mendis.
With the pressure of a must-win situation, Sri Lanka reconfigured their strategy, focusing on setting a substantial target and their adjusted lineup to tackle the challenges posed by Bangladesh in this critical encounter.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: 1 Kusal Mendis (c & wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Kusal Perera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Charith Asalanka, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.
Bangladesh Playing XI: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmal Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (c), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahamuddullah, 7 Towhid Hridoy, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Shoriful Islam.
Umpires: Marais Erasmus (SA), Richard Illingworth (ENG).
TV Umpire: Nitin Menon (IND)
Reserve Umpire: Adrian Holdstock (SA)
Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WI)
