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Bangladesh look to remedy home record as rivalry with Sri Lanka heats up
As it has started to get a bit hot around eastern Bangladesh, so has the rivalry between the two teams during this series.
There were enough incidents in the Sylhet leg of the tour to feel that all is not well between the two sides. There are suggestions that the off-field relationships are fine, but that has not translated to on-field bonhomie.
Shoriful Islam kicked things off by mimicking Angelo Mathews’ timed-out gesture from the World Cup last year, and then the whole Sri Lanka team celebrated their T20I trophy win with the same gesture. In between there was tension after the third umpires call on Soumya Sarkar in the second game, and the run-in between the Sri Lanka fielders and Towhid Hridoy in the last.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto seemed perturbed by some of it, but keeping things in check will be important in a contest where emotions might run high.
Bangladesh don’t lose many home ODIs historically, but Afghanistan and New Zealand have handed them consecutive series defeats. The last time Bangladesh had lost three home ODI series in a row was back in 2011. Shanto has a task in hand to turn the side around from the T20I series defeat, and to put the team on the right side of the result in another home ODI series.
They have some form on their side, with Soumya Sarkar showing glimpses of his old self in the T20Is. Hridoy and Tanzid Hasan scored runs at the back end of the BPL, while Mahmudullah has been consistent since the World Cup, and Mushfiqur Rahim was successful in the BPL too.
Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful bowled well in the T20Is but Mustafizur Rahman remains a concern. Mehidy Hasan Miraz will be the lead allrounder in Shakib Al Hasan’s absence, and Rishad Hossain has shown glimpses of potential.
The jury is still out on Kusal Mendis’ captaincy. He has led in 13 matches so far, seven during the poor World Cup campaign. Sri Lanka won just two of those games, which meant that they also failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy. But, having overseen ODI series wins against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, and his recent uptick in form in the T20Is against Bangladesh, Mendis must be feeling positive.
With both sides getting into spats on the field, it will be interesting to see how Mendis handles his side. There will certainly be scrutiny on how he manages the team as this is a player with achequred past in terms of discipline.
Sri Lanka will hope that their post-World Cup roll continues against Bangladesh. They have beaten Zimbabwe 2-0 and Afghanistan 3-0 in ODI series already this year. They are certainly walking the right path after the lacklustre campaign in India.
Pathum Nissanka’s return from a hamstring injury, because of which he missed the T20Is, will come as a boost for Sri Lanka – after all, he recently became the first batter from Sri Lanka to hit an ODI double-century. Mendis is also in good touch, having won the Player-of-the-Series award in the T20Is.
Sri Lanka have also brought a balanced bowling attack to Bangladesh. Lahiru Kumara returning for the first time since he was injured during the World Cup adds an edge to an attack that also has Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dilshan Madushanka among others.
(Cricinfo)
Th European Union “fully rejects” a US demand to release emergency diesel stocks as the fuel’s price soars in America and elsewhere amid the war with Iran.
The EU “fully rejects” the threat made by the US to ban diesel exports if Europe does not release more of its fuel stocks, according to European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.
“A ban would not be beneficial to anyone. It would undermine our trust in the United States as a reliable partner,” she said, adding that the next EU’s Oil Coordination Group meeting is scheduled for October 15, but could be brought forward if needed.
On Thursday, President Trump said the US could ask European countries to release diesel reserves to rein in rising diesel prices due to the war on Iran.
His comments came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Europe to “immediately” tap its reserves.
[Aljazeera]
Opening batter Sineth Jayawardena has charged into the Sri Lanka T20I squad for the series against Pakistan, while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has claimed the legspinner’s spot in the absence of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga. Seam-bowling allrounder Chamindu Wickremesinghe has also been named, as has batter Sahan Arachchige, while seamer Binura Fernando makes a return.
Omitted from the the squad were the likes of batter Charith Asalanka, fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake, and batting allrounder Janith Liyanage.
Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera was named in the squad, but his participation is subject to fitness.
Jayawardena, 21, has got his call-up because of an outstanding recent run in domestic T20s. In the past month, he has struck 101 off 52 and 82 off 32 for Tamil Union Cricket Club in the club T20 competition. He has played a single T20I, at the ongoing Asiad, but otherwise has never been part of a full-strength Sri Lanka side.
Others, such as Wickramasinghe, Arachchige, and Viyaskanth have earned their call-ups through years of performance at domestic level. Each of these players has appeared in T20 internationals for Sri Lanka before, but with the national team having had little success in this format in 2026, this inclusion represents their best chance yet to embed themselves within the side.
The three T20Is, which are all set to be played in Rawalpindi, will begin on October 9.
Sri Lanka squad :
Kamil Mishara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt.), Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera (subject to fitness)
At the end of a wretched week in Nisshin, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have something real to play for: an Asian Games bronze.
Both teams have a point to prove. Bangladesh recovered well from a poor start in their semi-final against Pakistan, thanks to Towhid Hridoy’s efforts with the bat, but their bowlers couldn’t defend 111 in a 13-overs-a-side game, and Mustafizur Rahman was taken to the cleaners in one of his rare poor outings in T20Is.
But at least they ran Pakistan close. In the other semi-final, India ran riot over Sri Lanka, bowling them out for 45. Sri Lanka had a second-string side on the field, but they wouldn’t have bargained for the basic mistakes they made, like the three run-outs in their innings.
Bangladesh, who can call on most of their first-choice players, start the third-place match as clear favourites, but the testing conditions at Nisshin can even up contests that look one-sided on paper. And both teams will have the motivation of bringing joy to contingents that have endured mostly barren Asian Games campaigns.
After a run-less Australia tour where Litton Das made three ducks in a row in the Test series, he was out for 2 against Pakistan. Litton faced just three balls, off which he attempted two reverse-sweeps, the second of them costing him his wicket. It was a perplexing innings on a pitch that offered a lot of turn and awkward bounce. Sometimes it’s hard to say if a batter is really out of form when he’s made a string of low scores, but Litton, who has led Bangladesh impressively in this format over the last couple of years, will want to break out of this run quickly.
Sahan Arachchige couldn’t quite muster up a captain’s performance against India, especially after his top three batters fell for ducks. He scored 9 before falling to a sweep shot against Axar Patel. He had earlier taken two wickets with his offbreaks. The 30-year-old allrounder now has the chance to put together a better show and inspire his team to the bronze.
Both teams could test their bench strength in the bronze-medal match.
Sri Lanka (probable): Sineth Jayawardena, Lasith Croospulle, Sohan de Livera (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Sahan Arachchige (capt), Ashen Bandara, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Tharindu Ratnayake, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando.
Bangladesh (probable): Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (capt), Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Towhid Hridoy (c), Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Aliss Al Islam/Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman/Hasan Mahmud.
[Ceicinfo]
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