Tigresses eye comeback but weather may spoil WT20I opener against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh will look to clinch a series win and fine-tune their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup when they face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the three-game WT20I series at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday -- although a looming rain threat could disrupt proceedings.

The hosts come into the series on the back of a 2-1 defeat in the preceding WODI series. Bangladesh had sparked hopes of a maiden series win over Sri Lanka after taking the opener, but failed to carry that momentum, losing the final two matches.

Having never beaten Sri Lanka in a bilateral series, Bangladesh now have another opportunity to break that jinx in the shortest format. 

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have met 13 times in WT20Is, with Bangladesh winning just three matches and Sri Lanka the other 10.

However, rain could play spoilsport in today’s match, with a high chance of showers forecast over the next seven days.

“After we won the first ODI, we had a huge opportunity to take the series. But we didn’t play good cricket in the last two matches. From that perspective, I’d say this is another opportunity for us to make a comeback as a team,” skipper Nigar Sultana Joty told reporters in Sylhet on Monday.

“Playing at home and with the World Cup ahead, this series is very important for us. These matches are crucial to understand how well prepared we are for the World Cup,” she added.

Joty, who scored 111 runs across three ODI innings, also addressed criticism of her strike rate, particularly in the third match, where even former teammate Rumana Ahmed questioned her approach.

“Look, I don’t think I’m the only one who has a bad series. In the second ODI, I tried to stay at the crease because we weren’t able to build partnerships. There was a reason to spend time at the wicket,” Joty explained.

“In the last match, my timing wasn’t right. Still, I wanted to keep batting with the other players. Overall, it wasn’t a good series for me.

“However, I still have this series, and in T20 cricket it’s all about maintaining a good strike rate. My aim will be to contribute to the team by adapting to the situation and scoring at a better rate,” she added.

Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu, meanwhile, said the series would serve as their final preparation ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June-July.

“The conditions here in Sylhet are somewhat similar to England. This series is very important for us because we are not playing any cricket before the World Cup. This is our last international assignment before the tournament,” Chamari said.

“We are trying a few combinations and have brought in two newcomers. Hopefully, we can execute our plans at the right time,” she added, while also expressing hope that the weather would not disrupt play.

Chamari also acknowledged Bangladesh’s progress in recent years.

“They are a good team. Compared to six or seven years ago, they have improved a lot. I saw their performance in Rajshahi, especially in ODI cricket. Hopefully, both teams can play their best cricket in front of the Bangladesh crowd,” she said.