Bangladesh will host Sri Lanka for two Test matches, three T20Is and three One-Day Internationals in March this year and the tour is certain to clash with the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. While the schedule of the cash-rich T20 league is yet to be unveiled, there is evey chance of the tournament getting underway in the last week of March this time around.
As far as the schedule for Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh is concerned, the visitors will arrive in Dhaka on March 1 when the final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is scheduled and the tour will commence with the three-match T20I series on March 4. All the matches of the series will take place in Sylhet with the other two T20Is to be played on March 6 and 9 respectively. The three-match ODI series will be played in Chattogram and the games will be played on March 13, 15 and 18.
Sylhet and Chattogram will host two Test matches then with the series in the longest format starting from March 22 and ending on April 3. Interestingly, for the first time in so many years, Bangladesh will not be playing at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka in a Test series. The venue is not available during that period with the series between Sri Lanka Women and Australia Women in progress.
Quite a few players from both countries are part of the Indian Premier League and it remains to be seen if they will be part of Test squads. The white-ball leg of the tour will end on March 18 and it might pave way for the players to join their respective IPL teams on time. But if they are picked in the Test team, then the availability issue might arise, not for the first time in the history.
Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh schedule
1st T20I - March 4
2nd T20I - March 6
3rd T20I - March 9
1st ODI - March 13
2nd ODI - March 15
3rd ODI - March 18
1st Test - March 22- March 26
2nd Test - March 30- April 3
