At the Pallekele International Stadium in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on August 31, 2023, the archrivals of the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will square off in the opening match of their respective tournaments.
In their home stadium, Sri Lanka will be attempting to defend their championship, while Bangladesh will be hoping to get off to a strong start in the competition. Due to an injury, Bangladesh will be without one of their key players, Tamim Iqbal, and Shakib Al Hasan will serve as the team’s captain for both the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
In contrast, Sri Lanka will be without the assistance of Dushmantha Chameera, their star pacer, for the Asia Cup, while their talented all-rounder Wannindu Hasaranga will also miss the opening few games due to injury. Notably, the matchup between the two Asian Giants is anticipated to be intense, and the teams will aim to get the tournament off to a strong start.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will face off at the Asia Cup:
With 12 victories against Bangladesh’s 3, Sri Lanka has dominated the match in as many as 15 games played between the two sides.
Matches Played: 15
Sri Lanka Won: 12
Bangladesh Won: 3
Top Performers:
In the Asia Cup games between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Sanath Jayasuriya scored 496 runs to lead the runs table. Kumar Sangakkara and Aravinda de Silva followed closely behind with 282 and 236 runs, respectively.
Muttiah Muralitharan tops the bowling rankings with 17 dismissals, and Chaminda Vaas comes in second with 8 dismissals. With 7 wickets each, Mashrafe Mortaza and Lasith Malinga tie for third position.
The Lankan Lions defeated both teams by two wickets in their most recent meeting, which took place in the Asia Cup 2022. Bangladesh scored an impressive total of 183 after electing to bat first, thanks in large part to centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz (26 balls, 38 runs) and Afif Hossain (22 balls, 39 runs). Each of Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne took two wickets. Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by two wickets while chasing 184 thanks to a brilliant 60-run innings from Kusal Mendis, a tough 45 from Dasun Shanaka, and a 3-ball 10-run knock from Asith Fernando in the last over.
All-Time Asia Cup Results between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh:
| Tournament /Season | Winner | Margin | Venue |
| 1986 | Sri Lanka | 7 Wickets | Kandy |
| 1990 | Sri Lanka | 71 Runs | Eden Gardens |
| 1995 | Sri Lanka | 107 Runs | Sharjah |
| 1997 | Sri Lanka | 103 Runs | Colombo |
| 2000 | Sri Lanka | 9 Wickets | Dhaka |
| 2004 | Sri Lanka | 10 Wickets | Colombo |
| 2008 | Sri Lanka | 131 Runs | Lahore |
| 2008 | Sri Lanka | 158 Runs | Karachi |
| 2010 | Sri Lanka | 126 Runs | Dambulla |
| 2012 | Bangladesh | 5 Wickets | Mirpur |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | 3 Wickets | Mirpur |
| 2016 | Bangladesh | 23 Runs | Mirpur |
| 2018 | Bangladesh | 137 Runs | Dubai |
| 2022 | Sri Lanka | 2 Wickets | Dubai |
India
