Bangladesh will face host Sri Lanka in first T20I of their two-match series under floodlight at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.
The matches will begin at 7:30pm, Bangladesh time.
In their tour, Bangladesh bounced back brilliantly to level the three-Test series 1-1 and then the ODIs also ending with the same margin against Sri Lanka.
The Tigers have their batting firepower – Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman and Imrul Kayes.
Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and uncapped 20-year-old all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin are the faces of the pace attacks. Mehedi Hasan Miraz the key spinner alongside Shakib, wears a well-rounded look too.
Mashrafe Bin Mortuza must aim to lead the Tigers to be competitive all the way in a familiar condition to get back their form, after suffering a 3-0 clean sweep in their last T20I series away home against New Zealand in January last.
Bangladesh registered the only victory against Sri Lanka in their last meeting at home in the Twenty20 format in the Asia Cup 2016. Since September 2007, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka played five T20Is where the letter side secured four victories.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday (April 1) announced a 16-man squad for the series with returning Mushfiqur who missed the Tigers last three-match T20I series due to hamstring injury against New Zealand.
Uncapped pace all-rounder Saifuddin has got a maiden call for national side while, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Sunzamul Islam have been included in the squad to represent the country in the shortest format for the first time.
Rubel Hossain, Shuvagata Hom and Taijul Islam who were in the last T20I squad have been dropped from the squad.
On the other side, Thisara Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya and Danushka Gunathilaka were recalled and Kusal Mendis omitted as Sri Lanka named their a 15-member squad, with Kusal Perera provisionally added as the 16th man, for the two Twenty20 Internationals against Bangladesh on Monday. The 2nd T20I will be held at the same venue on Thursday (April 6).
Bangladesh squad: Mashrafe Bin Mortuza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Shabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddek Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehedy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Subhashish Roy, Sanjamul Islam, Nurul Hasan Sohan and Saif Uddin.
Sri Lanka squad: Upul Tharanga (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Perera (subject to fitness), Lasith Malinga, Isuru Udana, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dasun Shanaka, Vikum Sanjaya, Milinda Siriwardana, Asela Gunaratne, Seekkuge Prasanna, Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Lakshan Sandakan and Shehan Jayasuriya.
