Fresh from a confident win over Hong Kong and carrying the memory of their recent T20I series victory against the Lankans, the Tigers head into the clash with belief.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka are yet to play a match in this tournament and will open their campaign against Bangladesh. Once again, the rivalry between the two sides has become a talking point, especially since the Nidahas Trophy in 2018, which laid the foundation of this fierce contest.
The rivalry only intensified at the 2023 ODI World Cup, when Angelo Mathews’ timed-out dismissal created a storm of controversy. For Bangladesh, this group-stage fixture is crucial to secure a place in the Super Four.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Bangladesh pace-bowling all-rounder Tanzim Hasan Sakib made it clear that the team is not focusing on the rivalry narrative.
“Rivalries will always be there, but at the end of the day, winning is the most important thing. No matter if it’s Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, or India-Pakistan, our goal is always to win. For me, these rivalry stories don’t matter much, winning the match does,” Sakib said.
He added that Bangladesh’s recent experience of playing against Sri Lanka would give the team confidence, though he acknowledged the strength of the opposition.
“Before the Asia Cup, we played a full series against them — Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. So we know their players quite well. We’ll plan accordingly. They do have some very good cricketers, and our aim will be to contain them. Hopefully, we’ll play our best cricket, In Sha Allah,” Sakib remarked.
Bangladesh had already stated ahead of the Asia Cup that their focus is on winning matches, not on net run rate.
“Our approach is simple, we’ll go out there to win. Beating Sri Lanka in the series earlier gives us confidence, but once again, our only goal will be victory” Sakib concluded.
