Sri Lanka, Bangladesh eye winning start

PALLEKELE: Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be eager to shake off modest ODI form and spate of inju-ries to key players as they seek to start their Asia Cup campaign on a winning note when they face each other in Pallekele on Thursday.

Sri Lanka, who won the Asia Cup in 2022 in its T20 avatar, could not even announce their squad for this edition till Tuesday, courtesy niggles and COVID-19 infection to a couple of players.

The Lankans lost Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madhushanka to various injuries, while Kusal Perera, who last played an ODI in 2021, is yet to make full recovery from COVID-19 infection.

But even before these setbacks, Sri Lanka's run in the ODIs this year has been sub-par.

They started the year with a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of India, and then lost to New Zealand 0-2.

The Islanders managed to beat Afghanistan at home before mounting a good run in the ICC Qualifiers in Hara-re, but the inability to lift their game against top opponents will worry them.

They will require runs from Pathum Nissanka (687 runs in 2023), Dimuth Karunaratne (481 runs) and Charith Asalanka (341 runs), their best batters this year so far, to challenge Bangladesh. Agencies

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