BAN vs SL | 'Lack of practice game won't make much difference' - Dimuth Karunaratne

Bangladesh are set to host Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series starting May 15. Ahead of the first game at Chattogram, Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne sounded confident about the side's preparation despite the warmup match being a washout.

"I think we prepared in Sri Lanka for a few weeks, and the conditions are pretty similar, so I don't think the practice match will make a big difference. We have done enough practice here and are well prepared for the series," Karunaratne said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The match between the visitors and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) XI was called a draw. A total of 18.2 overs were possible on Day 1 of the two-day tie before rain played spoilsport for the rest of the match.

Karunaratne also explained that his teammates have been concentrating on playing cricket, given the grim situation back home in Sri Lanka.

"Everyone knows what's happening. We're here to play cricket, and that's the only thing we are concerned about. So the only thing we can do is to bring a good result for the people there," he explained.

Karunaratane also spoke at length about how the team management will tackle Bangladesh's Shakib-Al-Hasan, who might have a chance of playing in the first Test after recovering from covid-19.

"We had a plan when Shakib was there, so we will have a plan for him as well. He is the best all-rounder. We will try to give our best shot and see how it goes," the 34-year-old concluded.