In The Hindu’s countdown to the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which commences in the West Indies and USA on June 2, we take a look at the teams in Group D.

South Africa: A second-string South African side was swept 0-3 in the T20I series against West Indies a few days ago. The arrival of powerful reinforcements — Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs, to name a few — gives the T20 World Cup squad far greater depth.

Quinton de Kock, who has retired from ODI and Test cricket, is a familiar face at the top of the order. The poor form of de Kock and lead pacer Anrich Nortje, however, is cause for concern.

Key player: Tristan Stubbs: With a strike rate of 190.90 and an average of 54 for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, Stubbs excelled as a specialist finisher.

The squad:

Aiden Markram (Capt.), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs.

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has won all three of its T20I series held this year, albeit against weaker teams (Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe). The team is led by experienced all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who missed the IPL due to an injury. In Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, the Lankans have two quality spinners primed to exploit slow pitches in the West Indies.

Sri Lanka will hope that death-over bowling specialist Matheesha Pathirana recovers quickly from a hamstring strain.

Key player: Kusal Mendis: The 29-year-old opener will be entrusted with giving SL a flying start. His role is especially crucial given that the batting line-up lacks big hitters.

The squad:

Wanindu Hasaranga (Capt.), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, and Dilshan Madushanka.

Bangladesh: The Tigers had a major slip in the build up to the T20 World Cup, losing 1-2 to World No. 19 United States of America in a T20I series last week. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and coach Chandika Hathurusinghe rely on the same set of players to come good in this mega event.

The unit’s lack of power-hitters is out of sync with modern T20 best practices. A warm-up match against India on June 1 serves as the last chance to get the house in order.

Key player: Mustafizur Rahman: A career-best six for 10 against USA proved that the left-arm seamer remains a valuable T20 asset. Mustafizur’s ability to deliver yorkers is particularly useful in the death overs.

The squad:

Najmul Hossain Shanto (Capt.), 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, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

Netherlands: Known to consistently punch above its weight, Netherlands earned its spot in this tournament by virtue of finishing in the top-eight of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. That campaign included a 13-run win over South Africa in the Super 12 phase, which effectively knocked the Proteas out of the competition.

Netherlands will miss the services of former SA international Roelof van der Merwe and batter Colin Ackermann, both of whom have chosen English county commitments over National duty.

Key player: Max O’Dowd: The Auckland-born opener is the standout batter. In the recent Tri-Nation T20I series involving Ireland, Netherlands, and Scotland, O’Dowd finished as the highest run-scorer.

The squad:

Scott Edwards (Capt.), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikramjit Singh, Viv Kingma, and Wesley Barresi.

Nepal: Nepal qualified for the 2024 T20 WC by entering the final of the ICC’s Asia region qualifiers in November last year. Nepal had previously appeared in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Apart from the recent five-match T20 leg against West Indies A, Nepal has not got the chance to test its mettle against quality oppositions.

Key player: Rohit Paudel: Facing a West Indies A attack which included Obed McCoy, Oshane Thomas, and Roston Chase, captain Paudel showed his class with scores of 112, 71 n.o. and 82.

The squad:

Rohit Paudel (Capt.), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, K.C. Karan, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, G.C. Pratis, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, and Kamal Singh Airee.

Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka is embraced by Dunith Wellalage and Matheesha Pathirana as they celebrate their two wickets win in the Asia Cup cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
| Photo Credit: AP

After displaying a clinical approach in its run-chase, Sri Lanka’s nerves showed towards the end in a two-wicket win over Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Thursday as it booked a date with India in the final of the Asia Cup.

The host lost five wickets for 36 runs and was forced to scramble over the line, into the teeth of a thrilling final over, bowled by Zaman Khan.

Defending seven runs, the debutant conceded just two runs off the first four balls before the ball took the edge of Charith Asalanka’s blade and went for a boundary. With two needed off the last delivery, Zaman fatally strayed on the pads and the left-hander flicked it for a couple amidst the deafening roar of a capacity crowd.

Before the chaos, Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama’s 100-run partnership for the third wicket was a lesson in setting up a chase. The duo ran hard to pick up the ones and twos when the spinners operated in tandem and hit the odd boundary when they missed their lengths to ensure that the asking rate never got out of hand.

The injection of intent came from openers Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka, who fetched a flurry of boundaries with the aim to keep abreast of the DLS par score in a rain-hit game.

Earlier, after electing to bat following a two-hour 15-minute delay in the start of play due to rain, Pakistan found itself floundering at 130 for five in the 28th over when the heavens opened again.

On either side of a 30-minute rain-break, Pakistan’s innings was a tale of two halves. Mohammad Rizwan (86 n.o., 73b, 6×4, 2×6) and Iftikhar Ahmed’s (47, 40b, 4×4, 2×6) 108-run partnership helped Pakistan ransack 122 off 86 after the interruption.

The pitch seemed to have eased up under the covers as Rizwan and Iftikhar cut loose in the first over of pacer Pramod Madushan’s second spell, laying into him with a six each. Rizwan showed Dunith Wellalage no respect in the following over, sweeping his flighted deliveries for a six and a four. Matheesha Pathirana was driven and pulled for two boundaries in one over. Maheesh Theekshana, who injured his hamstring while trying to save a boundary, limped through the last three overs of his spell and went for 12 runs off his last.

When Madushan’s slower deliveries became too predictable at the death, Iftikhar tonked him for a six to complete a 74-ball century stand with Rizwan, which wasn’t enough at the end.

Scores

Pakistan: 252/7 in 42 overs (Abdullah Shafique 52, Mohammad Rizwan 86 n.o., Iftikhar Ahmed 47; Matheesha Pathirana 3/65)

Sri Lanka: 252/8 in 42 overs (Kusal Mendis 91, Sadeera Samarawickrama 48, Charith Asalanka 49 n.o; Iftikhar Ahmed 3/50).

Target: 252 in 42 overs (DLS method).

Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage celebrates after an Indian wicket during the Asia Cup 2023 super 4 match against India in Colombo on September 12 , 2023.
| Photo Credit: ANI/ICC Twitter

After opting to bat first, India were bundled out for 213 during the Asia Cup 2023 super 4 match against Sri Lanka in Colombo on September 12.

Rohit Sharma (53) and Shubhmn Gill (19) gave India a bright start but after the dismissals of Gill, Kohli and Rohit, Indian batsmen could not withstand the bowling from Sri Lankan spinners. The pitch did offer some turn for the home team.

Virat Kohli (3) was dimissed quickly. After the dimissal of Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul (39) and Ishan Kishan (33) offered some resistnce in the middle overs.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant half-century and during the course he completed 10,000 ODI runs. He became the second fastest to reach the milestone behind Virat Kohli.

Dunith Wellalage troubled the Indian batsmen with his turn and finished at 5 for 40.

This is the first time India have lost all their wickets to spinners. On the other hand, Sri Lanka had dismissed their opponents inside 50 overs for the 14th consecutive time.

Teams:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha and Matheesha Pathirana.