Sri Lanka, Bangladesh Look To Rise Above Injuries, Modest Form For Winning Start In Asia Cup

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be eager to shake off modest ODI form and spate of injuries to key players as they seek to start their Asia Cup campaign on a winning note when they face each other on Thursday. Sri Lanka, who won the Asia Cup in 2022 in its T20 avatar, could not even announce their squad for this edition till Tuesday, courtesy niggles and COVID-19 infection to a couple of players.

The Lankans lost Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madhushanka to various injuries, while Kusal Perera, who last played an ODI in 2021, is yet to make full recovery from COVID-19 infection.

But even before these setbacks, Sri Lanka's run in the ODIs this year has been sub-par.

They started the year with a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of India, and then lost to New Zealand 0-2.

The Islanders managed to beat Afghanistan at home before mounting a good run in the ICC Qualifiers in Harare, but the inability to lift their game against top opponents will worry them.

They will require runs from Pathum Nissanka (687 runs in 2023), Dimuth Karunaratne (481 runs) and Charith Asalanka (341 runs), their best batters this year so far, to challenge Bangladesh.

They will also hope that skipper Dasun Shanaka, who has not fired for the whole year except a hundred against India, will find his touch against Bangladesh.

On the bowling front, spinner Maheesh Theekshana (23 wickets from 10 matches in 2023) and pacer Kasun Rajitha (14 wickets) will have to cover the absence of frontline bowlers.

The only solace for Sri Lanka could be that Bangladesh too have been in the same boat as them.

Bangladesh will miss the services of injured Tamim Iqbal, pacer Ebadot Hossain and wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das, but that is only a speck