The Asia Cup 2025 action continues as Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka in the fifth match of the tournament at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening.
For Charith Asalanka’s Sri Lanka, this will be their opening fixture of the campaign, while Litton Das’s Bangladesh enter the contest with momentum, having comfortably defeated Hong Kong by seven wickets in their first outing. Another win here could almost guarantee the Bangla Tigers a spot in the Super 4s.
Weather Report – Abu Dhabi
Fans can breathe easy, because the weather is expected to stay clear and dry. At the 7:00 PM local start, the temperature will hover around 34°C — hot but typical for Abu Dhabi evenings. There’s no threat of rain, meaning we should get a full 40 overs of cricket without interruptions.
Pitch Report – Sheikh Zayed Stadium
The surface at Abu Dhabi has already hosted two games (Afghanistan vs Hong Kong and Bangladesh vs Hong Kong). The pitch has looked dry, with visible cracks, but hasn’t dramatically favored either batters or bowlers.
Scoring hasn’t been free-flowing, yet bowlers have also struggled to extract much assistance. In short, it’s a balanced surface, and the toss may not have a huge impact. Teams will need to build partnerships and stay patient to post a competitive total.
Predicted Playing XIs
Bangladesh:
Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das (c & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
Sri Lanka:
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Binura Fernando.
What’s at Stake?
For Bangladesh, it’s all about continuing the winning run and securing early qualification hopes. For Sri Lanka, this is the first real test of their Asia Cup journey — and they’ll look to begin with a statement against a confident Bangla side.
Expect an intense battle under the Abu Dhabi lights, with both sides eager to seize control of their group.
