Defending champions Sri Lanka will begin their campaign against UAE who entered the main round in style by winning 3 matches on the trot in the qualifying tournament. However, the current Lankan side looks pretty different from the one that they had in 2014 and would hope that the younger players can step up their performances as sterner tests await.
After the retirements of veterans such as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the island nation has had a tough time in dealing with the transition period. Apart from a strong start to the tournament, they will also be hoping to nail down their final eleven for the rest of the T20 season.
On the other hand, UAE created a major upset when they knocked out the more fancied Afghanistan in their opening fixture. A decent showing against the stronger teams will ensure that it was not a flash in the pan.
Sri Lanka vs UAE: LIVE Streaming Details
TV Channel: Star Sports 1, HD1 (English) and 3, HD3 (Hindi)
Online Stream: www.starsports.com
Date: 25 February 2016, Thursday
Time: 07:00 PM IST, 07:30 PM local, 01:30 PM GMT
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka
For live scores and updates, visit Sportskeeda’s live card.
Team News
Sri Lanka
Lasith Malinga takes charge of the team after overcoming injury worries while Angelo Matthews’ return will also boost the team’s confidence. The batting lineup still relies on the experienced Tillekaratne Dilshan to get the team off to a rapid start.
Dinesh Chandimal who showed some promise with the bat in the T20 series against India would want to improve upon his T20 performance. The bowling unit looks potent with the likes of Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath and Sachitra Senanayake adding variety to the attack.
UAE
The opening duo of Rohan Mustafa and Muhammad Kaleem have looked enterprising and purposeful in the powerplay. Skipper Amjad Javed will fret over the form of their star batsman, Shaiman Anwar who lit up the 2015 World Cup with his productive batting.
Mohammad Naveed and Qadeer Ahmed have shown that they are capable of swinging the ball at considerable pace.
Sri Lanka vs UAE Teams
Sri Lanka XI
Shehan Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal (WK), Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedara, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachitra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga (C)
UAE XI
Rohan Mustafa, Muhammad Kaleem, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammad Shahzad, Amjad Javed (C), Muhammad Usman, Mohammad Naveed, Swapnil Patil (WK), Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Reza, Qadeer Ahmed
Pitch & Conditions
Both the qualifiers at the Shere Bangla Stadium have seen the team batting first posting significant totals and defending them with ease. However, there has been a tinge of grass on the surface which could indicate nice carry and seam movement for the pacers.
The spinners will come into play as the match progresses despite some dew. Showers are predicted on the morning but the clouds could clear out when play starts.
Recent Form
Sri Lanka: L-L-W-L-L
UAE: W-W-W-W-L
Key Stats
- Sri Lanka have won 5 Asia Cups, joint highest with India.
- Tillakaratne Dilshan needs 48 runs to eclipse Martin Guptill and go to 2nd in the all-time T20I batting chart behind Brendon McCullum.
- UAE are ranked at 15th in the ICC T20I rankings, only above Ireland and Oman.
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