Defending champions Sri Lanka begin their new Asian Cup season on Thursday when they host Bangladesh for a Group B match at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh meets Sri Lanka in the second game of the Asia Cup 2023 in Pallekele on Thursday afternoon. Sri Lanka are the current Asian Cup champions after beating Pakistan by 23 runs in last year's final. Bangladesh were eliminated in the group stage after defeats by Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. This day-night game starts at 15:00 local time at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh won their last ODI but lost the series to Afghanistan last month. However, they have a very experienced group of players led by Allan Donald.

Sri Lanka have impressed under the leadership of Chris Silverwood for the past 18 months. They have a consistent selection and will be betting on winning in Kandy.

Team Preview

Bangladesh Preview

Shakib al Hasan will be looking to improve on his poor record against Bangladesh and start the tournament with a win. As the team's most experienced player, he will try to take the lead from the front. Their opponents have a few problems with injuries and the Bangladesh captain wants to take full advantage of that in this game.

The side will be hoping for a strong batting performance from Mohammad Naim and Litton Das as they look for a big partnership. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy are in good form and will try to steer the innings in midfield. Mushfiqur Rahim Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz join this batting side and they will try to do well in this game.

Hasan Mahmud and Mustafizur Rahman need to make good use of the new ball as the Sri Lankan batsmen will be tough on them in this match. Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz are the most experienced bowlers and will have to captivate the lankers with their skills. Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam will try to do well in supporting roles to lead the team to victory.

Sri Lanka Preview

Dasun Shanaka's side are battling injuries ahead of this game. At least four players are missing from this tournament due to injuries affecting the team's balance. However, Shanaka and his men have a home advantage and a good record against Bangladesh. The Lanka captain wants his players to take inspiration from previous victories and do well in this game.

The team will need a solid start from Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne at the top as both players have performed well in the last few games. Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka will look to build partnerships in the middle order. Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva will need to add quick runs in the lower middle order as the Bangladesh bowlers will test them.

Kasun Rajitha and Dunith Wellalage will have to bowl tight lines with the new ball as the Bangladesh openers are in good form. The absence of Wanindu Hasaranga is a big blow to the team and they will need good performances from Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana in the midfield. Dhananjaya de Silva and Shanaka have to deliver the goods in the supporting role.

Pitch Report

Toss Prediction

Weather Report

Before the game there could be thunderstorms in the area and a delayed start cannot be ruled out. Consistently high humidity, although the afternoon and evening should be dry.

Head to Head

Both teams have played 51 ODIs against each other so far. Sri Lanka have a huge advantage with 40 wins versus just 9 wins for Bangladesh. 2 games were unsuccessful.

Venue Details

Match Prediction

With Afghanistan being the other team in Group B, both sides are expecting to progress to the next round of this year's tournament, but are also aware that a loss in this game will make that much more difficult. We're predicting a close game with some impressive experienced Bangladeshi players, but overall we're backing Sri Lanka to have enough quality with bat and ball to take the win.

Sri Lanka to beat Bangladesh in the 2nd match of Asia Cup 2023

Betting Tips

To hedge your bets we would recommend a small pre-game bet on Bangladesh, however the bulk of the money should go to Sri Lanka.

Bet on Sri Lanka to win.

Probable playing XI

Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

Bangladesh Key Players

Mushfiqur Rahim – the highly experienced batsman takes on more responsibilities after Tamim Iqbal's injury in this tournament. In his last international innings, he scored 69 points.

Shakib Al Hasan - the left-arm spinner and aggressive hitter - will captain Bangladesh during the 2023 Asian Cup. He will enjoy the conditions in Kandy.

Taskin Ahmed - The 28-year-old fast bowler has seen huge increases in returns across all formats, with his ODI average falling to 19.35 from a career 30.37 over the last 12 months.

Sri Lanka Key Players

Dasun Shanaka - the captain is a very skilled player with both bat and ball. He is also a strong leader on his team and will be very dangerous if he is well set up and at the wicket in the last 10 overs of the inning.

Matheesha Pathirana – the 20-year-old has only won five caps but big things are expected of him. He could cause problems for the Bangladesh batsmen with an unusual move.