A new chapter is set to unfold in a rivalry that has grown increasingly fiery in recent years as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka face off at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The stakes for the game are set at an all-time high for both sides, as two points from this clash could prove decisive in shaping the qualification race
While former Asia Cup T20 Champion Sri Lanka is yet to begin its campaign for the latest edition of the tournament, Litton Das-led Bangladesh recently secured a comfortable victory against Hong Kong at the same stadium. Bangladesh’s recent success, combined with their increased grasp of the local conditions, could give the team a slight edge over their opponent in the upcoming Group B fixture.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2025: Head-to-head analysis
While Sri Lanka holds more victories in the overall head-to-head analysis, Bangladesh has emerged as the superior side recently, winning 3 out of their past 5 encounters.
| Head-to-Head Analysis | ||
| Metric | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka |
| Matches played | 20 | 20 |
| Wins | 8 | 12 |
| Highest Team Total | 215/5 (Colombo RPS, 2018) | 214/6 (Colombo RPS, 2018) |
| Lowest Team Total | 83 (Johannesburg, 2007) | 94 (Dambulla, 2025) |
| Recent T20I Form (last 5) | 3 wins | 2 wins |
| Recent Asia Cup T20 matches | Won 1, Lost 1 | Won 1, Lost 1 |
Bangladesh won its last T20I against Sri Lanka by 2-1 in July. The Das-led side also emerged as the superior team in the T20 World Cup last year in Dallas, as their pace attack left Sri Lankan batters scrambling over the pitch for answers. In light of their recent form, Bangladesh is expected to outclass the Sri Lankan side to mark their second consecutive victory of the tournament.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2025: AI predicts match winner
Ahead of the match, Artificial Intelligence (AI) bots, ChatGPT and Grok AI were asked to predict the winner of the 5th match of the Asia Cup 2025. Based on the analysis of their past encounters, GPT and Grok gave out the following prediction.
Both ChatGPT and Grok backed Sri Lanka as the superior side. While ChatGPT assigned Sri Lanka a distinct advantage in light of its better head-to-head record and batting depth. Grok favoured Sri Lanka to win the encounter due to their superior spin capability and historical dominance in Asia Cup tournaments against Bangladesh.
As per Grok, Sri Lanka has a 65% chance of victory while Bangladesh have a 35% chance.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2025: Predicted XI
Bangladesh (Predicted XI): 1 Pervez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.
Sri Lanka (Predicted XI): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Binura Fernando, 11 Nuwan Thushara