Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by 2 wickets in a do-or-die match in Group B of the Asia Cup T20 tournament. With this win, Sri Lanka has made it to the Super-4, where they will face Afghanistan. Batting first, Bangladesh had posted a challenging score of 183 for seven against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka chased down the target of 184 runs for eight wickets in 19.2 overs to show Bangladesh the way out of the tournament. Sri Lanka had lost their last batsman in the form of captain Shanaka for 158 while chasing 184. After this, Chamika Karunaratne (16) and Asita Fernando (10) added 26 runs in 10 balls to give their team victory in a very close match.
Pathum Nisanka and Kusal Mendis gave Sri Lanka a strong start in chasing the target, adding 45 runs for the first wicket in 5.3 overs. After the early dismissals of Charit Aslanka (01), Danushka Gunthalika (11), and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (02), skipper Shanaka took the lead with Mendis putting on a 54-run stand for the fifth wicket. Mendis scored 60 runs in 37 balls with the help of four fours and three sixes, while Shanaka scored 45 runs in 33 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Afghanistan will clash in Super-4
Despite efforts by Mendis and Shanaka, Sri Lanka was in trouble for 158 runs losing all their batsmen's wickets, but Karunatne and Fernando's efforts led them to victory. Karunaratne was run out on the fifth ball of the 19th over after scoring 16 runs off 10 balls. Fernando then scored 10 runs in three balls, which included the winning four on the second ball of the 19th over. With this win, Sri Lanka has made it to the Super-4, where they will face Afghanistan on Saturday.
Earlier, Bangladesh scored a challenging score of 183 for seven while batting first against Sri Lanka in the Group B match of the Asia Cup T20 tournament on the back of aggressive innings from Afif Hossain, Mehdi Hasan Miraj, Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain.
This is Bangladesh's highest score in T20 Internationals against Sri Lanka. Opening the innings, Mehdi Hasan Miraj scored 38 runs in 26 balls with the help of two fours and two sixes. Amidst the fall of wickets, Afif Hossain (39 off 22 balls) and the experienced Mahmudullah (27 off 22 balls) put on an aggressive 57-run partnership for the fifth wicket to lay the foundation for a big score. While Afif hit four fours and two sixes in his innings, Mahmudullah hit a four and a six.
Mosaddek Hossain scored 24 runs in the last over with the help of four fours in an unbeaten inning of nine balls to take the team's score beyond 183. Bangladesh scored 60 runs in the last five overs. Captain Shakib Al Hasan contributed 24 runs in 22 balls for the team.
Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne took two wickets each for Sri Lanka.Debutant Asitha Fernando (1 for 51) gave Sri Lanka the first breakthrough in the third over of the innings by showing Shabir Rahman (5 runs) the path to the pavilion.
Mehdi Hasan Miraj picked up the run rate with a six off Mahish Teekshana in the fourth over and six and fours in successive deliveries against Fernando in the fifth over. Bangladesh scored 18 runs from this over from Fernando.
In the next over, Mehdi Hasan Miraj hit another boundary, which took the team's score to 55 for one in the powerplay. Hasaranga, who came to bowl in the seventh over, bowled Mehdi Hasan Miraj to end his innings of 38 runs in 26 balls. In the next over, Mushfiqur Rahim (four runs) was caught by wicketkeeper Mendis off a bouncing ball from Chamika Karunaratne.
Captain Shakib Al Hasan took the risk and hit three fours off four balls in the ninth and 10th overs to bring the dwindling run-rate back on track. Tikshna bowled him in the 11th over and stopped his innings before it got dangerous.
After this Afif Hossain and Mahmudullah got quick runs. Afif was more aggressive during this period. He hit fours and sixes against Hasranga in the 13th over and Fernando in the 16th over, while Mahmudullah did the same thing against Hasranga in the 15th over of the innings.
The half-century partnership of both was broken by Madushanka in the 17th over by dismissing Afif. In the 18th over, Hasranga walks Mahmudullah. After this Mossadek put the Sri Lankan bowlers under pressure with his aggressive batting. Taskin Ahmed (11 not out) also hit a six in the last over as the team crossed the score of 180.
