Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in a must-win second ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today (July 5), aiming to level the three-match series. The match starts at 3:00 pm (Bangladesh time).

The visitors are under pressure following a dramatic 77-run defeat in the opening game, where they collapsed from 100-1 to 105-8, losing seven wickets for just five runs in the space of 26 balls—a collapse that stunned both fans and players.

“I was chilling in the dressing room with a coffee, and suddenly, five wickets down,” fast bowler Taskin Ahmed said, recalling the astonishing moment. “We didn’t play our natural game and panicked under pressure.”

Taskin, who took 4 for 47 to help restrict Sri Lanka to 244 on a flat pitch, emphasised the importance of improving game awareness to stay alive in the series. “This is a do-or-die match. We need better decision-making to bounce back.”

The first ODI saw Tanzid Hasan Tamim score a brisk 62 off 61 balls, but his dismissal, coupled with a run-out of Najmul Hossain Shanto, triggered the collapse. Wanindu Hasaranga and Kamindu Mendis did the damage with the ball for Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh, currently on a seven-match ODI losing streak, last won against Afghanistan in 2023. Since then, they’ve suffered series defeats to West Indies, India, and New Zealand.

Historically, Bangladesh have struggled against Sri Lanka in ODIs, winning only 12 of 58 encounters. Their record in Sri Lanka is particularly poor, with their last series win dating back over a decade.

Mustafizur Rahman, who suffered cramps in the first match, remains a doubtful starter, while Sri Lanka are expected to field an unchanged squad after recent wins against Australia and India.

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