Six-time champions and the reigning champions in the T20 format Sri Lanka are set to square off against their arch-rivals Bangladesh in the first Super 4 clash of Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh made it to this stage ahead of Afghanistan and join the other two Asian Giants India and Pakistan in the Super 4. It’s a clash of two evenly matched sides and whoever does better on the day shall win.
The Charith Asalanka-led Sri Lanka are one of two teams to still be unbeaten in Asia Cup 2025 and have performed exceedingly well under pressure. They showed their class and experience to come through the Group Stage unscathed. They beat Bangladesh quite easily in the group stage game but were tested against Hong Kong and Afghanistan which they came through with flying colours. Bangladesh, on the other hand, beat Hong Kong easily in their first game before going down tamely to Sri Lanka. But in a must-win clash, they held their nerves in beating Afghanistan by 8 runs and making it thus far in the tournament.
The stage is set for a rip-roaring encounter at the Ring of Fire in Dubai as whoever plays better on the night will win.
Overview
Sri Lanka comes into this game unbeaten in the Group stage. They started their campaign by disposing off Bangladesh before being tested by Hong Kong in a nervy chase which they eventually got over the line. They last faced Afghanistan in the final Group game and beat them in all facets of the game to win the contest.
After losing the toss, Nuwan Thushara wreaked havoc as his 4-wicket haul crippled Afghanistan badly. But the Afghans refused to give up and through Mohammad Nabi’s brilliance in the death overs, they got to a competitive 169/8 in 20 overs. In reply, Sri Lanka lost in-form Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara early but Kusal Mendis stood tall by anchoring the innings and scoring an unbeaten 74 to guide the chase through. He got able support from Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka and more so from Kamindu Mendis to steer the side home in the 19th over as the Lankans showed their class in knocking Afghanistan out of the tournament.
The Lankans will be buoyant and confident in doing well and starting the Super 4 stage on the right note as the real tournament begins from this juncture. What has happened in the Group Stage will be history as from the Super 4s stage, the real fun of the tournament starts now.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, may have blown hot and cold throughout the tournament but have done well to reach this stage from the Group of Death. The Litton Das-led side has shown glimpses of what they are made of and are all set to challenge the other teams in the Super 4. Bangladesh began their campaign with an impressive win against Hong Kong before crash landing against their arch-rivals Sri Lanka as the Lankan lions thrashed the Tigers easily in the end. But Bangladesh bounced back against Afghanistan in a must-win clash which turned out to be a thriller.
Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first as a new opening pair of Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan walked out to bat. Tanzid was a man on a mission as he scored a breath-taking 52 off 31 balls while Saif made 30 off 28 balls. Bangladesh were 59/0 in 6 overs but could only make 154/5 in 20 overs where they ought to have gotten more runs. But that was not to be. But they had runs on the board and Afghanistan has a history of bottling chases.
Afghanistan came out to bat as Bangladesh breathed fire with Nasum Ahmed striking and taking 2/11 in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman stepped up and picked up 3/28 in 4 overs. Rishad Hossain was brilliant in his 2/18 in 4 overs while Taskin despite being a tad expensive ended up with 2 wickets for 34 runs in 4 overs. It was an all-round bowling performance that kept Afghanistan down to 146 in 20 overs as Bangladesh won by 8 runs.
So, the stage is set for the epic battle to happen later tonight as there is hardly anything to choose between the two sides at this stage. One team might be slightly ahead on paper, but not by much. We shall see how the game pans out later tonight.
Head-To-Head
The overall Head-To-Head between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh has seen the teams face each other 21 times in T20Is with Sri Lanka having the upper hand with 13 wins while Bangladesh have registered 4 wins. Since 2024, these two sides have faced each other 8 times, and it is split between the two sides at 4 wins apiece. Bangladesh won the recently concluded 3-match T20I series in Sri Lanka 2-1 but Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in the latest Group stage game in Abu Dhabi. Let’s see how things pan out later tonight.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai will suit spinners more than the one in Abu Dhabi. There will be initial help for the seamers with lateral movement, but spinners will come into play in the middle overs of the innings. The batters if they apply themselves have a chance to do well on this pitch. Run-scoring can be tough at times if it is a two-paced wicket. A score of 160 and above can be really competitive and the team that wins the toss here generally opts to field first.
The weather in Dubai will be as usual very hot and humid. Temperatures will soar in the day but at night it should be cooler for the players. There could be dew coming in, but whether it will be that big of a factor remains to be seen. The players by now have adjusted to the heat and shall have no complaints about it although hydration will be important for all concerned.
Predicted/Probable Playing XI of both sides
Here, we will try and predict the playing XIs of both sides ahead of the crucial clash later tonight.
Bangladesh XI: Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (c & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara
Key Players that we may have to watch out for in this clash:
Pathum Nissanka: Pathum Nissanka may have missed out on the last game, but he is the most consistent performer for Sri Lanka across all formats. He is in good form and will be expected to give a good start to the batting innings. Nissanka has looked good and has already score two fifties in three innings and the Lankan lions will hope that he continues his rich vein of form in the Super 4s stage.
Nuwan Thushara: Nuwan Thushara’s devastating first spell floored Afghanistan and later came back to pick another wicket. Thushara’s spell will be crucial as he is a bowler who can strike in the powerplay and dent Bangladesh early. He did that in Abu Dhabi and will be expected to do the same in Dubai as well although the conditions can vary at times. Thushara’s lethality is the yorker he bowls and he will want to get things right in the Super 4 stage.
Litton Das: The captain of Bangladesh is the glue to this entire innings. He is the most senior most player in the side and Bangladesh are heavily dependent on him to provide the goods. Batting at 3, Litton plays a major role in holding the innings together and guiding it through. Whenever Litton fires, Bangladesh tends to do really well. If he fails, they tend to struggle. Bangladesh will once again be looking over at Litton Das to provide the goods and do well for the side once again as he has so often done in the past.
Taskin Ahmed: The spearhead of the Bangladesh bowling attack Taskin Ahmed will be expected to play a major role in this game against Sri Lanka. Taskin didn’t play the Group stage game against Sri Lanka as he was rested for that game on rotation policy. But he will be expected to play and him being in the side makes a massive difference to Bangladesh. He picked up a couple of wickets against Afghanistan and will be expected to bowl well in the powerplay and the death overs in order to do well for his side. Taskin is a central figure in Bangladesh’s bowling line-up.
Key Records/Stats to look forward to in this clash:
- Towhid Hridoy is 23 runs away from completing 1000 T20I runs.
- Taskin Ahmed is 2 wickets away from completing 100 T20I wickets.
- Kamindu Mendis is 26 runs away from completing 500 T20I runs.
- Kusal Mendis needs 24 runs to overtake Kusal Perera as the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in the T20I format.
- Litton Das is 19 runs away from overtaking Shakib Al Hasan as the highest run scorer for Bangladesh in T20I cricket.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match
This is a battle of equals with both teams having their strengths and weaknesses. Whichever team plays better on the day shall get the victory. It is tough to choose given it is the Super 4 stage. But looking at current form and conditions on offer in Dubai and team on paper, we reckon Sri Lanka will start as slight favourites. But Bangladesh has a chance of beating Sri Lanka if they play well and don’t count the Tigers out at all.
So, we are all set for the Super 4 stage to begin and the next week will be exciting to watch for all of us as the race to the final will also heat up. Asia Cup is alive and kicking and now the matches will be closely fought for sure from this position. Who will come out on top tonight? Only time will tell.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Sri Lanka’s Ecstasy ,Afghanistan’s Exit