Bangladesh began their Asia Cup campaign with a comfortable victory over Hong Kong. But their next challenge in Abu Dhabi is a much tougher one — Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the contest, Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka reminded Bangladesh that his side are the reigning Asia Cup champions. He also spoke about conditions in Abu Dhabi, suggesting that batting will become easier once the new ball softens a little against Bangladesh’s bowling attack.

While India won the 2023 Asia Cup (ODI format), Asalanka’s claim was not inaccurate — Sri Lanka were the winners of the 2022 Asia Cup in T20 format. Since the tournament alternates between ODIs and T20s depending on the upcoming World Cup, the 2025 edition is being held as a T20 competition in preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

For Bangladesh, dismissing Asalanka early could be key if they want to secure victory.

The Asia Cup, launched in 1984, has seen both 50-over and 20-over editions. For instance, the 2019 and 2023 editions were ODIs leading into ODI World Cups, while the 2022 and 2025 tournaments have been played as T20s ahead of the T20 World Cups.

Looking back, Sri Lanka’s title win in 2022 continues to motivate the team. At the pre-match press conference, Asalanka said:

“It feels great mentally to remind ourselves that we are the defending champions. Many of these players were also part of that campaign in the UAE. We know what we are capable of, and this gives us confidence to push further.”

Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are used to playing on slower, spin-friendly pitches at home. But Asalanka expects Abu Dhabi conditions to be different:

“Compared to other venues in the UAE, Abu Dhabi is the best pitch for batting. Once the ball softens a bit, it becomes much easier to score runs. The outfield is also excellent — every batsman would love playing here.”

The match kicks off today at 8:30 PM Bangladesh Standard Time. In their past 16 T20 encounters over the last decade, both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have won eight games each — making this clash finely balanced.