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The Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup 2021 has arrived and it’s Bangladesh and Sri Lanka going to lock horns in the 15th match of the tournament. The two Asian rivals will face off at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The teams have gone through a rigorous Round One stage to reach the Super 12s and look very potent on slow wickets of the United Arabic Emirates. The Mahmudullah-led Bangladesh had found themselves in a critical situation after losing their first game in Round One against Scotland by six runs.
The Bangla Tigers bounced back quickly to register a 26-run victory over Oman, courtesy of an inspired performance from Shakib Al Hasan. The all-rounder starred again as Bangladesh annihilated Papua New Guinea by 84 runs to seal the second spot in Group B.
Sri Lanka had a pretty straightforward qualification from Group A, where they won all three matches comprehensively. They started the campaign by mowing down Namibia’s target with seven wickets and 39 balls to spare. An incredible all-round performance from Wanindu Hasaranga saw them hammer Ireland by 70 runs. They went one step further in the third game, knocking out the Netherlands for 44 and chasing it down in seven overs.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are placed alongside England, Australia, West Indies and South Africa. A ‘group of death’ where they can pull off a few upsets but before that they’d want to begin their campaign with a win.
Key players
Shakib Al Hasan has time and again produced remarkable performances for his team. The all-rounder has five ‘player of the match’ awards in Bangladesh’s last five victories at the ICC events.
He has picked 9 wickets in three games so far at an extraordinary economy of 4.50, with the best of 4/9. On top of that, Shakib is their top run-getter with 108 runs in three innings at an average of 36 and strike rate of 115.
Wanindu Hasaranga is amongst the best in the business and is in superb form, picking 6 wickets in three games of Round One at an exceptional economy of 4.09 rpo. Hasaranga can be a key player with the bat in hand as well if floated up the order. The leg-spinner has already shown that, with his outstanding knock of 71 off 47 when the team was reeling at 8/3. Hasaranga’s batting could again be important with most of their batters struggling.
One of the fastest pacers in Sri Lankan cricket, Lahiru Kumara has a variety of skill-set to succeed at the top level. The right-arm pacer has been magnificent for Sri Lanka in this tournament, picking 7 scalps in three Round One games at an incredible average of 5.42 runs per wicket and at 3.61 runs per over. He was named ‘player of the match’ in the last game against the Netherlands, claiming 3 for 7 in three overs.
Mahmudullah has been one of the pillars of the Bangladesh team over the years. The 35yr old adds a lot of stability in the lower middle order and is their designated finisher. Mahmudullah has 1861 runs at an average of 24 and strike rate of 120. The Bangladesh skipper was terrific in the last game against Papua New Guinea, blasting 50 off 28 balls to power the team to 181. Mahmudullah could well be the difference in this contest with both the teams being evenly matched.
Prediction
The head to head record between these two teams is in favour of Sri Lanka with a scoreline of 7-4. However, in the last five matches, Bangladesh have won three.
Bangladesh have a fantastic bowling attack for the conditions on offer here in the UAE. Their spin duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan have been extremely good while the seamers Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed are just as threatening. They have the batting unit to put up good scores, especially with Shakib and Mahmudullah in form.
Much like their opponents, Sri Lanka also possess a strong bowling unit comprising a quality pace trio of Dushmantha Chameera, Chamika Karunaratne and Lahiru Kumara. Their spin duo of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana is a nightmare to face on these decks. The batting unit, however, is struggling and needs individual brilliance.
All in all, this is a shoot-out between the two bowling units. Expect Sri Lanka to come out on top on Sunday.
