Bangladesh renew rivalry with Lanka

Exactly a year ago, Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka committed a grave error by calling the Bangladesh team an easier side to beat than the Afghanistan team. 

Bangladeshis don’t take lightly to criticism, least of all when it’s as derisive, and when it comes from a skipper who just got hammered by Afghanistan in the Asia Cup opener in 2022. 

Shanaka wasn’t about to make that mistake again, even when the travelling media made attempts to coerce a reaction ahead of their Asia Cup tie. He explained the nature of their Thursday's game against Bangladesh with as much patience as he could muster and played down any and all animosity between the sides. 

But, a quick run through all of their recent clashes reflects the contrary. 

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have become quite the rivals since the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, where Mushfiqur Rahim did the ‘Naagin’ dance after defeating the former in the opening contest. 

Then Shakib Al Hasan threatened to take his team off the field due to a questionable wide call. 

Plenty of isolated arguments were witnessed during the course of this tournament and the ones to come, but the one that sticks out is the ugly face-off between Lahiru Kumara and Litton Das at the 2021 T20 World Cup. 

Though both players are not available, one due to injury and the other due to a viral fever, these sides are not going to stop going at each other - they seem to have quite a penchant for each others’ emotional triggers.  

“It’s become quite the rivalry, a bit like the one between India and Pakistan so it’s a good one,” said Shakib. “It’s not about being emotional. I think when you play with so much passion, emotions come through. That’s what is happening between the sides, I think.”

Maybe the fact that Sri Lanka were so dominant in the years preceding 2018 has a part to play, but since gaining the confidence to stand toe-to-toe with the Lankans, they have literally done so. In fact, Bangladesh have been more successful of the two in the last five games. 

While that will provide enough impetus for Bangladesh to push forward, Sri Lanka too will have an itch to scratch, a point to prove. Should they, the locals will, no doubt, stick it in the faces of the Bangladeshis. 

If they don’t, the stadium Pallekele won’t sit in serenity as it does now.