Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Highlights, Asia Cup 2023 Group B Match: SL beat BAN by five wickets

Match summary: Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by five wickets in their Asia Cup group B match in Pallekele on Thursday. Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka scored fifties as Sri Lanka chased down 165 in 39 overs.

Earlier, Matheesha Pathirana took four wickets to see off Bangladesh for 164.

Toss report: Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat against defending champions Sri Lanka with Group B of the 2023 Asia Cup getting underway in Pallekele on Thursday.

The action shifts to Sri Lanka after the opening game of the tournament between Pakistan and Nepal took place in Multan, with hosts Pakistan collecting a dominant 238-run victory.

Both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh enter the Asia Cup with several key players missing.

The Lankans are without key pacers Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka and spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, with the Lions naming Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan and Dushan Hemantha as their replacements.

Bangladesh’s Litton Das was ruled out of the tournament on the eve of their opening game due to viral fever, with the southpaw joining veteran opener Tamim Iqbal, who had been ruled out of the tournament much earlier due to back issues, on the sidelines. The Tigers named Anamul Haque as his replacement.

With Tamim having resigned from ODI captaincy following drama over his retirement in July, star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan takes over the reins of the side in the 50-over format.

Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the final of the 2022 edition, which took place in the UAE in the 20-over format, to win their sixth Asian title and their first major title since the 2014 T20 World Cup. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have finished runners-up thrice in the last 11 years and will be eyeing their maiden title in a major event this time around.