Keep an eye on 3 Sri Lankan players Kusal Mendis, Matheesha Pathirana, & Wanindu Hasaranga as they play crucial roles in T20 WC 2024 clash against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka began their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a comprehensive loss to South Africa in the first match. Wanindu Hasaranga saw his side bowled out for a mere 77 runs as they couldn’t handle the pace and bounce off the track in New York.
The next challenge for Sri Lanka is against Bangladesh. This rivalry has taken epic proportions in the last few months. Sri Lanka will remember their last meeting in an ICC event where Angelo Mathews was given timed-out which caused a huge controversy.
It is a key match already for Sri Lanka as they will look to win this contest and get their first points of the tournament. One more loss will spell disaster for Sri Lanka as they would have to win both their remaining games and hope for other results to go their way.
Here are the top 3 Sri Lankan players to watch out for against Bangladesh
1. Kusal Mendis
Sri Lankan hopes will be dependent on the form of Kusal Mendis at the top of the order. The 28-year-old is a proven run scorer for his national sides across all formats. So far, Kusal Mendis has played 8 matches against Bangladesh and scored 432 runs. His highest score of 86 in this format has come against the Bangladeshis with an average of 54 and a strike rate of 164.
2. Matheesha Pathirana
Young pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana will be one of the bowlers to watch out for during the game against Bangladesh. The right-arm fast bowler has played just 2 matches against Bangladesh and has picked 3 wickets so far. Pathirana has the pace and variations to trouble the best batters in the business. His toe-crushing Yorkers will be the ones to watch out for the Bangladeshi batters and will be wary of the threat that Pathirana brings to the table.
3. Wanindu Hasaranga
Sri Lankan skipper Wanindu Hasaranga will be the key player to watch out for during the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh match. The 27-year-old has played 3 matches so far against the Bangla Tigers and scored 23 runs with the bat and also picked just 3 wickets with the ball. With the tracks aiding spin, Hasaranga will be a huge threat to Bangladesh with his mystery spin and ability to bowl with misery economy rates.
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