IN BRIEF
Date: Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh will take place on Saturday 9th September 2023 at 15:00. (IST) at 15:00 (Local Time) and at 10:30 (UK)
Venue: Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh will take place at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Weather: Conditions are expected to be extremely hot throughout, with sunshine but also a chance of thundery showers throughout the match as temperatures reach highs of 27c
TV & Streaming: Viewers in India and the subcontinent can watch this match live on Star Sports channels, or stream it via the Disney+ Hotstar app. Viewers in Sri Lanka can watch this match live on both PTV Sports and TEN Sports or stream it through the Tapmad app and website. Viewers in Bangladesh can watch this match live on Gazi TV or stream it either on Rabbithole or through the Toffee app. Viewers in Afghanistan can watch this match live on Ariana TV. Viewers in the UK can watch this match live on TNT Sports or stream it via Discovery+. Viewers in Australia can watch this match live on Fox Sports or stream it via the Foxtel or Kayo Sports app.
KEY BETTING STATS
- Sri Lanka have won seven of their last ten 50-over fixtures against Bangladesh – To Win the Match
- Sri Lanka have accrued a higher opening partnership than their opponents in each of their last two Asia Cup fixtures – Highest Opening Partnership
- Mohammad Naim has scored 10+ runs for Bangladesh in each of their last three Asia Cup fixtures – Batter Milestones
BETTING ANALYSIS
A nail-biting victory over Afghanistan on Tuesday saw Sri Lanka end the group stage with a 100% record, guaranteeing their progression into the Super Four stage as Group B winners. Key to their success has been bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who is currently Sri Lanka’s top wicket-taker across the tournament with five scalps overall. In the previous clash between Sri Lanka in Afghanistan in the group stage, Pathirana took four wickets and it would be no surprise to see him play a starring role again vs. the Tigers. Consider investing in Pathirana to take 2+ wickets via the ‘Bowler Milestones’ market, whilst those looking for a betting market that offers more lucrative returns can back the 20-year to finish as Sri Lanka’s top bowler in this contest. What Sri Lanka has in their favor is significant batting depth down their order, one such example of this being Charith Asalanka. Batting at five, Asalanka struck 62 not out in his side’s first group game, guiding them home in a successful run chase before hitting 36 against Afghanistan five days later. Asalanka is the only Sri Lankan player to have cleared the rope in both group fixtures and backing him to score the ‘Most Match 6s’ here may prove a shrewd play.
Bangladesh has been dealt a huge blow by the withdrawal of batter Najmul Hossain Shanto from the Tigers’ squad due to a hamstring injury sustained during his brilliant innings of 104 against Afghanistan. Shanto was the tournament’s leading run-scorer across the group stage, racking up 193 runs in just two matches and as shown in their most recent defeat at the hands of Pakistan, it isn’t proving easy for Bangladesh to replace him. The experienced Litton Das has been drafted in and scored 16 runs in that match, but having to adjust their top order mid-tournament has clearly worked against the Bangladesh batters. It would be no surprise to see the Tigers get off to a slow start again here with the bat, so investors should look at backing Bangladesh’s opening partnership to score under 23.5 runs. Shanto wasn’t the only centurion vs. Afghanistan as Mehidy Hasan Miraz also reached three figures, but followed that up with a score of 0 against Pakistan and will be desperate to bounce back at the first time of asking. Those looking for a high-risk bet that offers a high reward can explore the ‘Top Match Batter’ market, an ideal one in which to back Mehidy with a small stake. On the bowling front, only three bowlers (all from Pakistan) have taken more wickets than Taskin Ahmed in the 2023 Asia Cup so far and the 28-year-old should have a big role to play here. There is good value in backing Taskin via the ‘Team Top Bowler’ market.
CRICKET 8’S EXPERT PREDICTION
There is no doubt that the loss of Najmul Hossain Shanto has significantly weakened Bangladesh as a collective batting unit. The last time these two teams clashed back in the group stage, Shanto was the only Bangladesh player to gain a higher score than 20, putting into perspective the struggles faced by the Tigers against a strong Sri Lankan bowling attack. When it comes to depth of batting, Sri Lanka looks far superior and it’s hard to see Bangladesh gaining the volume of runs required to get the better of Dasun Shanaka’s side, regardless of whether they are batting first or second. Expect Sri Lanka to make it consecutive 2023 Asia Cup victories over Bangladesh, this time in the Super Four stage.
