Early Collapse Leaves Bangladesh Reeling

Sri Lanka chose to bowl first and immediately put Bangladesh under pressure. Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera delivered back-to-back wicket maidens to start the game.

Tanzid Hasan struggled to time his shots on a slightly two-paced pitch and was bowled by Thushara in the first over. In the next over, Chameera dismissed Parvez Hossain Emon, who edged a drive to the wicketkeeper. By the end of the second over, Bangladesh were in deep trouble at 0 for 2, a disastrous start for a high-stakes match.

Litton Das Fights Back Briefly

Towhid Hridoy’s run out in the fifth over worsened Bangladesh’s situation. However, Litton Das attempted to rebuild by attacking Dasun Shanaka in the sixth over, hitting three fours.

Just when it seemed Bangladesh might recover, Wanindu Hasaranga struck. Returning from a hamstring injury, he trapped Mahedi Hasan lbw with a classic wrong’un. He continued to trouble the batters, nearly dismissing Litton and Jaker Ali with sharp turn and accuracy.

Hasaranga eventually got Litton, who top-edged a reverse sweep to the keeper. This left Bangladesh struggling at 53 for 5 in the tenth over.

Shamim and Jaker Rescue Bangladesh

From there, Shamim Hossain and Jaker Ali put up a gritty fight. They built an unbeaten 86-run partnership, both finishing with scores in the 40s.

The duo faced difficulty scoring quickly as Sri Lanka’s bowlers maintained tight lines and lengths. At one stage, they went 21 balls without hitting a boundary, showing how tough run-scoring was on this pitch.

Shamim provided a late spark, hitting the only six of Bangladesh’s innings in the 19th over off Matheesha Pathirana. Despite their efforts, Bangladesh could only manage a modest total, giving Sri Lanka a straightforward target.

Nissanka and Mishara Lead Sri Lanka’s Chase

Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara came out with intent, making Bangladesh’s total look far too small.

Nissanka set the tone early, smashing a powerful six off Mustafizur Rahman. Even after Kusal Mendis fell to Mustafizur, Nissanka and Mishara kept scoring freely. Their aggressive approach highlighted the difference between the two sides’ batting styles.

Bangladesh’s bowlers made things worse by bowling too many short balls. Mishara took full advantage, striking clean, powerful shots. He had an early slice of luck when Mahedi Hasan dropped a catch at mid-on. At that point, he had only 1 run from 7 balls. Mishara immediately punished Bangladesh, hitting 6, 4, 4 off the next three deliveries.

Nissanka, meanwhile, showcased brilliant timing and placement, becoming the fastest Sri Lankan to reach 2000 T20I runs. The pair added 95 runs in just 52 balls, completely taking the game away from Bangladesh.

Late Wickets But Comfortable Finish

Though Sri Lanka lost three wickets for 18 runs in a brief late collapse, the outcome was never in doubt. Mishara stayed unbeaten on 46 off 32 balls, while Nissanka’s fluent 50 off 34 ensured a smooth victory.

Brief Scorecard