Sri Lanka won the toss and put Bangladesh to bat first in their first Super 12 game in Sharjah.
The reason for bowling first is clear as the Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka says, "After the IPL, it seems the wicket is keeping down a bit."
Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah, however, says his team would have loved to bat first. "We need to adapt to the conditions. Hopefully, it's a good one to bat on," said the skipper.
The Lankan Lions won all three matches in the first round quite convincingly despite an early scare in their encounter against Ireland. They bundled Netherlands for mere 44 runs which will certainly give their bowling lineup confidence.
On the other hand, Bangladesh is playing their first-ever T20I in the UAE. Unlike Sri Lanka, the Tigers didn't have a smooth qualification into the Super 12. Their concern will be consistency in the batting lineup.
Being the weakest links of Group 1, both the teams will be desperate to earn the precious 2 points from this game.
Wickets will be slow as the second part of IPL in the UAE as well as the first round of the World Cup saw low-scoring games in Sharjah.
Both teams are coming with a small change. Binura Fernando, the left-arm medium-pacer, is in for Maheesh Theekshana, who is not fit for the game. Bangladesh, on the other hand, opted to increase their spin option giving Nasum Ahmed a chance over fast bowler Taskin Ahmed.
Teams
Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Binura Fernando
Bangladesh: Litton Das, Mohammad Naim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah (capt), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman
