After the excitement of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final last week, it's time for Bangladesh cricket fans to shift their focus as the three-match T20I series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka kicks off on Monday at the Sylhet International Stadium.
Both teams are already honing their skills in Sylhet to take on each other in a series that promises to showcase the rivalry that has grown over the last few years between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Ahead of the first match, representatives from both teams have expressed their expectations for a competitive series.
Chris Silverwood, the head coach of Sri Lanka, said the main thing he wants from this series is competitive cricket on the field.
“First and foremost, I expect this to be a very competitive series between two good sides,” Silverwood said. “What happened in the past, for me, is history; now it’s gone. I think what we have to do is, certainly from our perspective, concentrate on what is in front of us.”
This series is also a chance for both teams to take one step closer to finalizing their T20 squad with an eye on the World Cup later this year, which will be played at venues across the US and the Caribbean.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said they aim to develop more as a unit in the shorter format of the game.
“The past year has been good in T20Is,” Najmul said Sunday. “Our T20 game is better than before, now if we develop more, we will be able to do well against any team in any condition.”
Najmul has recently been appointed Bangladesh team captain in all formats. This series marks his first opportunity to look into the future in this role.
“It’s a challenge to me,” Najmul said regarding his new role as the new full-time captain. He may find it more challenging due to his recent lean performance in the BPL, where he scored only 175 runs in 12 matches at an average under 15. But Najmul said he is not overly concerned about his dual roles as a batter and captain.
“Whether I’m the captain or not, I have to score runs, which is my first responsibility as the batter,” Najmul said. “I have to score because I’m the captain—this is not a factor.”
Najmul echoed the sentiments of the Sri Lankan coach regarding the rivalry. He said what happened between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the past is in the past, and he believes a good series is ahead.
Bangladesh has faced Sri Lanka in T20Is 13 times, but they have won only four games. Three of those wins were in Sri Lanka, with the other recorded in Bangladesh.
While the first match is on March 4, the other two matches will be played on March 6 and 9, respectively. All the matches of this series will begin at 6 p.m. After the T20I series, both teams will travel to Chattogram for a three-match ODI series.
This series will be broadcast live in Bangladesh by Gtv and T-Sports channels, along with Rabbithole and the T-Sports app
MSH
