Bangladesh's super 4 hopes rest on 'Naagin' rivals, Sri Lanka

Bangladesh finally opened their account in the group-stages after a closely-fought win over Afghanistan on Wednesday evening. It took impressive performances with both bat and ball to take down the giant-killers. Tanzid Hasan gave the start with the bat, scoring a crucial 52 off 31 balls, while left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed set the tone in the second innings by taking two early wickets and finishing with figures of 2/11.

With Bangladesh finishing on four points, the last Group B match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan becomes a high-stakes encounter. If Sri Lanka manage to beat Afghanistan, both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will advance to the Super 4s. However, a win for Afghanistan could create a three-way tie, with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan all finishing on four points. In that scenario, net run rate (NRR) will become the decider.

Bangladesh will be keeping a close eye on the scoreboard, knowing that Sri Lanka would have to suffer a heavy defeat; losing by around 70 runs or with 50 balls to spare for their NRR to drop below Bangladesh’s. Given Afghanistan’s historical record, this appears unlikely; the team has never successfully chased a 140+ target against a Full Member nation, Zimbabwe being the only exception.

Bangladesh will be watching nervously, hoping for a result that favors them. While Bangladesh has already shown resilience in their win over Afghanistan, their Super 4 hopes now rest squarely on Sri Lanka’s shoulders.

As the tournament edges closer to the knockout stages, the final Group B clash promises to be a tense, strategic contest. Bangladesh can only prepare, watch, and hope that the stars align so that their Super 4 campaign can continue. A favourable outcome would allow the Tigers to build momentum ahead of the next phase, while a slip could cut short their aspirations despite their hard-fought victory against Afghanistan.