Bangladesh snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Sri Lanka. The Bangladeshi Tigers chased down the target of 169 runs with 4 wickets in hand & one ball left in the match. Saif Hassan played a gem of a knock against Sri Lanka, which set the tone for the run chase. Saif Hassan‘s knock of 61 runs in 45 balls put immense pressure on the Sri Lankan bowling unit.
Sri Lanka would be in a state of shock, as 169 is quite a defendable target at Dubai. The surface didn’t have that many demons in it, but Sri Lanka possessed a quality bowling attack that could thrive in different conditions. Sri Lanka suffered their maiden defeat in the Asia Cup 2025, as in the first round, they were undefeated, but one more defeat in the Super 4 stage can end most likely end tourney in the Asia Cup 2025.
Dasun Shanaka stages a magnificent comeback for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka got off to a brisk start against Bangladesh. Pathum Nissanka & Kusal Mendis were looking ominous as the island nation’s score was 36-0 in 4 overs. Taskin Ahmed thought in the 5th over got the better of Pathum Nissanka as a surprise short ball ploy attack got Nissanka trapped in it.
Mahedi Hasan, who astonishingly replaced Rishad Hossain, had an astonishing outing. Rishad Hossain, in the previous match against Afghanistan, had taken 2 wickets and conceded 18 runs in his 4-over spell. The management took a bold step by removing Rishad & bringing in Mahedi, which yielded amazing results.
Mahedi Hasan got rid of the dangerous-looking Kusal Mendis in the 8th over & was sent back to the dugout after scoring 34 runs in 25 balls (*1 four and 3 sixes). Mahedi Hasan was giving an extra flight, which enticed the batters, and they fell into that trap. Mahedi Hasan got rid of Kamil Mishara in the 10th over by uprooting his stump. The island nation was in a spot of bother at 65-3 in 9.1 overs.
Sri Lanka’s slowing rate took a bad hit as the boundaries weren’t coming on a regular basis. At the end of 15 overs, Sri Lanka’s score was 115-4 & Dasun Shanaka was coming into the groove, who took on Nasum Ahmed in the 15th over as he smashed 2 sixes and one four. Sri Lanka had their task cut out to set a target in excess of 170+, given there were high chances that dew would come in play in 2nd innings.
It seemed as if Dasun Shanaka was batting on a different surface as we witnessed clean power-hitting. Sri Lanka were looking all set to get a score in excess of 180 as at the end of 18 overs, Sri Lanka’s score was 153-4. Bangladesh then, against the run of play, pulled back the things and restricted the score to 168-7.
Dasun Shanka was seen fighting a lone battle, apart from him; not a single batter scored 35 runs, which hurt the island nation hugely. Kamindu Mendis & Wanindu Hasaranga failed to provide some lusty blows at the back end of the innings. Dasun Shanaka notched up 64 runs in 37 balls and struck 3 fours and 6 mammoth sixes.
The 19th over, bowled by Mustafizur Rahman, changed the complexion of the match drastically. In that over, Sri Lanka lost 3 wickets and managed to score only 5 runs in Mustafizur Rahman’s over. Mustafizur mixed his variations smartly as his pace off deliveries were quite hard to pick for batters. Mustafizur Rahman took 3 wickets in his 4-over spell & conceded 20 runs, which put Bangladesh back in the game.
Saif Hassan & Towhid Hridoy demolish Sri Lanka & win a thriller
Bangladesh were dealt with an early blow as Tanzid Hasan was clean bowled by Nuwan Tushara. There was seam movement with the new ball as playing an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket was very risky for the Bangladeshi Tigers. Skipper Litton Das & Said Hassan didn’t allow the bowlers to settle in; Bangladesh scored 59 runs in powerplay overs for the loss of 1 wicket.
Nuwan Tushara was targeted by both Saif Hassan & Litton Das as all the tricks weren’t being productive. Saif Hassan, though in particular, was quite audacious in his approach, which allowed Litton Das to play the role of anchor, which was also needed at that point in time.
Bangladesh needed another 110 runs to win from the last 14 overs, and most importantly, they had 9 wickets in hand. Charith Asalanka. The introduction of Wanindu Hasaranga in the 7th over immediately broke the partnership. Litton Das’ attempted sweep shot on the 3rd delivery wasn’t timed well as the fielder at deep backward square leg took an easy catch. Bangladesh’s score at that time was 60-2 in 6.3 overs.
Saif Hassan & Towhid Hridoy put Bangladesh in a strong position. Bangladesh required 87 runs to win from the last 10 overs. Sri Lanka badly needed a couple of wickets in quick succession to make a comeback in the match. Towhid Hridoy & Said Hassan rotated the strike smartly & waited for a loose delivery of Dunith Wellalagae & then asserted dominance over the spinner.
Bangladesh was cruising with 107-2 in 13 overs, the partnership was looking all set to take Bangladesh over the finish line. Then Wanindu Hasaranga once again broke the stand and got rid of the big fish Saif Hasaan. Saif Hassan’s knock of 61 runs in 45 balls not only laid the foundation for the run chase but also kept Bangladesh in a state of ascendancy in the run chase.
In the last 6 overs, Bangladesh required 55 runs to win & Charith Asalanka’s decision to hand over the 15th over to Kamindu Mendis backfired brutally as he gave away 16 runs in that over, and all of a sudden, Bangladesh was in the driver’s seat in the run chase. Towhid Hridoy displayed a tremendous amount of mental application and didn’t panic even after playing a string of a couple of dot balls back to back.
In the last 2 overs, Bangladesh were just a kind of touching distance away from winning the match, needing 12 runs to win. Dushmantha Chameera though pulled the things back by getting the priced wicket of Towhid Hridoy who was out after scoring 58 runs in 37 balls and hit 4 fours and 2 sixes in his knock.
Only 5 runs were required for Bangladesh to win in the last over. Dasun Shanaka spiced up the things, but couldn’t defend 5, and Bangladesh won the match by 4 wickets and 1 ball remaining. Sri Lanka would be crestfallen as they allowed Bangladeshi batters to get their eye in and form formidable partnerships. Apart from Wanindu Hasaranga, all other bowlers had a forgettable day as Hasaranga’s 2-wicket haul in his 4 overs was the standout difference between the two teams.
What lies ahead for Bangladesh & Sri Lanka
It can be said that Bangladesh would be over the moon after beating Sri Lanka in a nail-biter. Earlier in Round 1, Sri Lanka had comprehensively beaten Bangladesh, and now Bangladesh can be said to have returned the favor. Bangladesh’s next encounter is against India on 24th September at Dubai, which promises to be a cracker of a game. The side did well even when Litton Das didn’t do the bulk of scoring, which states that Bangladesh as a unit have started to peak which can be a threatening sign for rest of teams in Super 4 stage.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, won’t be able to digest the fact that they lost the match despite having a world-class bowling attack. The decision to promote Dasun Shanaka at No.5 position was a remarkable move as he not only played the role of aggressor but kept the score-board ticking. Sri Lanka needs to quickly pull up their socks as their next match is on 23rd September at Abu Dhabi. If Sri Lanka loses that match, then they won’t make the final of the tournament unless something extraordinary and out of the box happens.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Dasun Shanaka Plays A Blinder To Help Sri Lanka 168-7