Sri Lanka came out all guns blazing and walked away comfortable winners over Bangladesh at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Sri Lanka looked like a team possessed and meant business as they outplayed Bangladesh in all facets of the game. They won the toss and decided to bowl first and restricted Bangladesh to 139/5 despite heroics from Shamim Hossain and Jaker Ali as Wanindu Hasaranga picked up 2/25 while Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera picked up 1/17 each.
In reply, Sri Lanka rode on Pathum Nissanka’s 50 off 34 balls and Kamil Mishara’s unbeaten 46 off 32 balls to ace the chase and aided by 21 extras by Bangladesh got to the target in 14.4 overs and opened their account. With this win, Sri Lanka are upwards to second place in the points table behind Afghanistan and ahead of Bangladesh on Net Run Rate. A day to forget for Bangladesh in the end.
All-Round Bowling Display Led by Wanindu Hasaranga limits Bangladesh to 139/5
Put into bat first, Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon came out to bat for Bangladesh while Nuwan Thushara had ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Thushara bowled a splendid over and got rid of Tanzid Hasan for a duck and a wicket maiden over. Thushara bowled a full and swinging into the off-stump, Tanzid was under a lot of pressure and played five dots and went for the release stroke. The shot was an ugly looking whip across the line and missed the inside edge by some margin. The ball snuck through the gates and smashed the off-stump. The off-pole was rattled. Litton Das came out to bat next.
Dushmantha Chameera came onto bowl the next over and got rid of Emon for a duck as well. He bowled a short of a good length in the off-stump channel angling across. Extra bounce for Chameera and Emon pushed at it without moving his feet and got an outside edge that went into the hands of the keeper. Towhid Hridoy came out to bat next.
Thushara continued and bowled a tidy over. Chameera continued and bowled another tidy over. Hridoy was then given a reprieve when Asalanka dropped him at mid-off. But that did not prove costly as the direct hit from Mishara caught the batter short of his ground at the bowler’s end as Hridoy went for 8 off 9 balls. Mahedi Hasan came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary down the ground past the diving mid-off fielder.
Dasun Shanaka was given the ball to bowl the final over of powerplay and Das decided to take on the bowler as he hit him for two consecutive boundaries through mid-off and through the point region. Das ended the powerplay by delicately playing it past short third man for a boundary to end the over and the powerplay as Bangladesh were 30/3 in 6 overs.
Matheesha Pathirana came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a decent over as some close shaves happened for the batters. Wanindu Hasaranga came into the attack next and he got rid of Mahedi Hasan for 9 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name. Hasaranga bowled a googly full ball spinning into the off-stump line, Mahedi was forward looking to defend. He didn’t pick the variation and played down the wrong line and got beaten on the inside edge as the ball hit the front pad. The appeal for LBW and the umpire gave it OUT and Mahedi after a chat with his partner decided not to send it upstairs. Jaker Ali came out to bat next.
Das was given OUT LBW to Hasaranga but he reviewed and got it overturned as there was an inside edge onto his pads. Litton then Hasaranga for a boundary by sweeping through deep backward square leg. Shanaka bowled a decent over as the 50 came up for Bangladesh in 9 overs. Hasaranga then almost got rid of Jaker Ali as the ball hit the off-stump but the bails did not come off as the batter rode his luck.
Hasaranga then dismissed Litton Das for 28 off 26 balls with 4 fours to his name. It was a full ball leg spinner pitching around the leg stump. Litton Das was down on one knee trying to reverse sweep it away and went through the stroke early and missed the outside edge as the ball lobbed up to the keeper’s left with Mendis taking it cleanly. There was glove involved and the umpire had to change his decision to OUT. Shamim Hossain came into the crease next and got off the mark as Bangladesh were struggling at 54/5 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
Shanaka returned after the Break as Jaker Ali got a top edge over the keeper for a boundary. Charith Asalanka came into the attack next and bowled a decent over. Pathirana returned to the bowling crease as Shamim pulled him away with disdain in front of square as the ball goes to the deep backward square leg region for a boundary. Then Shamim dived full length to make his ground and get a couple of runs.
Hasaranga returned to the bowling crease as Shamim took the attack to Hasaranga by sweeping it hard along the ground through deep square leg. Hossain took on Pathirana and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. After 15 overs, Bangladesh were in a spot of bother at 93/5. Hasaranga bowled a tidy over and completed his spell as the 100 came up for Bangladesh in 16 overs.
Thushara returned to the attack and bowled decently even as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Chameera came in to bowl the 18th over and bowled a decent spell. Pathirana was given the ball to bowl the 19th over of the innings. Hossain pounced on him by heaving over deep midwicket for the maximum. Pathirana bowled a flurry of wides as runs came in singles and twos of extra balls as 18 runs came off the 19th over.
Chameera came in to bowl the final over of the innings as Jaker Ali managed to get a boundary through the extra cover fence as the ball ran away to the fence in no time. The Bangla Tigers ended with 139/5 in 20 overs with Jaker Ali unbeaten on 41 off 34 balls with 2 fours to his name while Shamim Hossain remained unbeaten on 42 off 34 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. 11 extras given by Sri Lankan bowlers in this 139/5 for Bangladesh.
Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka with figures of 2/25 in 4 overs. He was ably supported by Nuwan Thushara who finished with 1/17 in 4 overs while Dushmantha Chameera finished with 1/17 in 4 overs. There was a run out in the innings as well. Dasun Shanaka gave away 27 runs in 3 overs. Matheesha Pathirana finished with 0/42 in 4 overs. Captain Charith Asalanka bowled an over and gave away 6 runs. This meant that Sri Lanka needed 140 to win the match and begin their campaign on a winning note in Asia Cup 2025.
Pathum Nissanka & Kamil Mishara star as Sri Lanka get over the line with 6 wickets and 32 balls to spare
Chasing 140 for the win, Pathum Nissanka walked out to bat with Kusal Mendis for Sri Lanka while Shoriful Islam had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Shoriful started with a decent over. Mustafizur Rahman got the ball from the other end. Nissanka smashed him by pulling over deep midwicket for the maximum. But the Fizz hit back getting rid of Kusal Mendis for 3 off 6 balls. Fizz went full and bowled it in the channel around off-stump, Kusal Mendis poked at that without moving his feet and got an outside edge that was taken by Litton Das. Kamil Mishara came out to bat next.
Shoriful Islam bowled another tidy over. Tanzim Hasan Sakib came into the attack next. Nissanka welcomed him with a boundary through the point region. Sakib gave away 4 leg byes away to the batting side. Shoriful continued as Mishara got a reprieve as Mahedi Hasan dropped him at wide mid-on. Mishara added insult to injury by smashing Islam over deep midwicket for the maximum. He was not done yet as he smashed the same bowler for back-to-back boundaries between point and extra cover on both occasions.
Mahedi Hasan came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. Mishara took on Mahedi and deposited him over deep midwicket for the maximum. At the end of the powerplay overs in the chase, Sri Lanka were 55/1 after 6 overs. Fizz returned to the attack as Nissanka greeted him back with a boundary down the ground and past mid-off. Nissanka also hit Rahman for a boundary through the deep midwicket region. The 50-run stand came up between the two players.
Rishad Hossain came into the attack next. Rishad gifted away 5 wides away to the batting side. Mishara hit him down the ground for a boundary. Nissanka joined in the fun as he hit another boundary off Rishad Hossain by pulling through deep backward square leg. Nissanka was on a roll as he hit Mahedi through deep midwicket for a boundary. The Fizz was not even spared as he was driven by Nissanka through left of mid-off for a boundary. Rahman gifted 5 wides away to the batting side as the 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 9.2 overs. Soon, Nissanka reached yet another fifty in 31 balls his 16th in T20Is and completed 2000 T20I runs as well.
At the end of 10 overs, Sri Lanka were 107/1 and needed 33 more to win off 60 balls. The players took the Drinks Break. Mahedi Hasan struck after the break straightaway as he got rid of Nissanka for 50 off 34 balls with 6 fours and a maximum to his name. He bowled a good length delivery on the leg stump, Nissanka stepped down the track and swiped across the line. He connected neatly, but failed to get enough elevation on it as the ball flew to the right of deep backward square leg. Shoriful was a few yards inside the fence and timed his leap to perfection and took a brilliant catch on the move. Kusal Perera came out to the middle next and got off the mark as well.
Mishara hit Tanzim for a boundary past backward point. Kusal then hit Mahedi for a boundary but Mahedi hit back getting rid of Kusal Perera for 9 off 9 balls with a boundary to his name. He bowled it full and outside off, Perera went for another reverse sweep but missed it this time and wore it on the back pad. The appeal for LBW and the umpire says no. The review was taken and three reds came on the replays and the batter had to walk back to the hut. Dasun Shanaka came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Sakib then got rid of Shanaka for 1 off 3 balls. Tanzim bowled a good length delivery angling in down the leg side and it was a hit me delivery as Shanaka tried to help it on its way by whipping it towards fine leg fence. Mustafizur ran to his right from long leg and dived forward to take a one-handed stunner with his stronger hand. Captain Charith Asalanka came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Asalanka survived a run out chance at the bowler’s end as he got home in time. Asalanka then showed his intentions and smashed Sakib over deep midwicket for a huge maximum.
Shamim Hossain was introduced into the attack next and it took 4 more balls for Sri Lanka to get over the line as Mishara hit the winning runs with a brace to get Sri Lanka to a 6-wicket win with 32 balls left. Mishara’s innings was laced with 4 fours and 2 sixes in his 46* off 32 balls while captain Charith Asalanka finished with 10* off 4 balls with a maximum to his name. As many as 21 extras given by the fielding side Bangladesh.
Mahedi Hasan was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh with 1/29 in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman finished with 1/35 in 3 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib finished with 1/23 in 3 overs. Shoriful Islam went for 26 runs in 3 overs. Rishad Hossain’s only over went for 18 runs while Shamim Hossain’s 4 balls went for 4 runs. So, Sri Lanka win by 6 wickets and for his brilliant innings, Kamil Mishara was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead.
The bandwagon moves from Group B to Group A and the venue from Abu Dhabi back to Dubai. It’s the mother of all battles coming your way as India takes on Pakistan at 8PM IST on 14th September 2025. All eyes and roads will lead to Dubai on Super Sunday.
Can Pakistan spring a surprise and cause an upset? Or will India continue their recent dominance against Pakistan? Find out tomorrow evening in Dubai and here’s hope for a close contest there.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Wanindu Hasaranga’s Miserly Spell Restricts Bangladesh To 139/5