Confident Sri Lanka take on Bangladesh sans Hasaranga and Nissanka

Sri Lanka will deeply feel the absence of their skipper Wanindu Hasaranga and dashing opener Pathum Nissanka when they start the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh at Sylhet tomorrow. Hasaranga, while he travelled with the team, remain suspended for the first two matches by the ICC following his altercation with umpire Lyndon Hannibal in the third T20I against Afghanistan on February 21.

In his absence, his deputy Charith Asalanka will lead the side. But it’s not Hasaranga, the captain, that Sri Lanka will miss the most. It's Hasaranga, the all-rounder. He was the top scorer for Sri Lanka during the recent T20 series against Afghanistan, scoring 102 runs, including a match-winning 67 in the first ODI, and four wickets for 74 runs in 12 overs.

The selectors have brought in Jeffery Vandersay, who last played a T20 international two years ago, to cover for

Hasaranga while Akila Dananjaya and Maheesh Theekshana remain as the two frontline spinners to take the field on Monday.

Nissanka is in a purple patch with the bat, hitting Sri Lanka’s first and only double century in the limited over format. Although he missed the T20 series, he is likely to join the squad for the ODIs which follows the T20 international series. Nissanka is recovering from a hamstring injury he sustained during the third and final T20 game against Afghanistan.

“He is our best batsman at the moment and we need to manage him properly as we are heading to a World Cup this year,” said Chief Selector Upul Tharanga.

“He will be ready for the ODIs but whether we want to play him in the Test series is something we are deliberating at the moment.”

Nissanka hasn’t played a Test match since July 2022 as selectors kept him out of the longer format to manage his workload following a back injury.

“He is someone who can play longer innings but we need to manage his workload ahead of a World Cup. He is a key player in the T20 side,” Tharanga explained.

This means Nissanka is likely to be rested for the two-match Test series against the Bangladesh which will begin at the end of the limited over series. Avishka Fernando has been brought into the T20 side in place of Nissanka.

According to reports from Bangladesh, Sri Lankan cricketers began their training on Friday after arriving in Sylhet. Commenting on the team’s recent performances,

Tharanga said consistency is the key to success.

“We are really happy about how they have gone about their business during the last two series but they need to do it with consistency,” the former Sri Lanka opener said.

“There’s still room for improvement across all three facets of the game--batting, bowling and fielding. Even though they had shown great improvement on their fielding, I think they still can fine tune it to give a competitive advantage to the team.” The series starts with three T20s, which will be held on

March 4, 6, and 9 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The ODI series will be held at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram, on March 13, 15, and 18.

The limited-over series will be followed by a two-match Test series, which is part of the 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship cycle. The first Test is in Sylhet from March 22 to 26, while the second Test will be held from March 30 to April 3 in Chattogram.

Meanwhile, uncapped Aliss Islam has been ruled out of the series against

Sri Lanka due to a finger injury.

Aliss caught the attention of the national selection panel for his performance in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League T20 tournament, where he emerged as a mystery spinner with his remodeled action.

The young bowler had picked up a hattrick in his very first BPL game for Dhaka Dynamites back in 2019.