Bangladesh will look to iron out its flaws and seal the second Super Eight spot from Group D when it takes on a tricky Nepal in the T20 World Cup 2024 here on Monday.
With four points, Bangladesh is all set to progress further in the tournament from the last group in the competition but a spirited Nepal will pose a strong threat.
Even though it has not yet won a game and is out of race for the next round, Nepal’s confidence will be sky high after they nearly pulled off a win against South Africa and will be keen on fulfilling its dream of beating a Test-playing nation before signing off.
READ MORE: South Africa records second-lowest run defence in T20 World Cup after one-run win vs Nepal
The equation for Bangladesh, however, could change if it loses to Nepal by a big margin and the Netherlands manage to do the same against a struggling Sri Lanka — an unlikely scenario indeed but this tournament has thrown its share of surprises.
Teams:
Bangladesh:
Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Travelling reserves: Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud.
Nepal:
Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal and Kamal Singh Airee.
Sri Lanka looks to sign off on a high
Sri Lanka, who are placed fifth in Group D, will take on the third-placed Netherlands.
Already out of reckoning for the Super Eight round, Sri Lanka’s pride will be at stake given it has had a tournament to forget, marred with multiple issues on and off the field.
READ MORE: T20 World Cup 2024: We let our nation down, says Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews
For the Scott Edwards-led Netherlands team, there will be a great deal of motivation to bring out their best and hope for a big win as well as luck to favour them.
Netherlands has notched wins in two out of three games in this tournament yet it finds itself nearly eliminated in a tight Group D, from which South Africa has already sailed through.
Teams:
Sri Lanka:
Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka.
Netherlands:
Scott Edwards (c&wk), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi.
New Zealand eyes consolatory win over PNG
A consolatory win over a lowly Papua New Guinea would be the best that the New Zealand can walk away with in this T20 World Cup, with curtains coming down on its campaign prematurely.
For a team as consistent as New Zealand in ICC tournaments, the Kiwis have paid a heavy price for being sluggish at the start as a couple of defeats upfront led to their surprisingly early exit.
The game will, however, carry a massive significance for the Kiwi group as Trent Boult has confirmed this is his last T20 World Cup for the country and the Kane Williamson-led side will be motivated to give their best against PNG, who have lost each of their three matches so far.
Teams:
New Zealand:
Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.
Papua New Guinea:
Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga (wk), Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura.
Source Agencies
