Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy played key roles as Bangladesh staged a tense chase to secure a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their Asia Cup Super Four clash.
With five runs required from six balls, Jaker Ali struck a boundary off the first delivery of Dasun Shanaka’s final over to reduce the target to just one run. Bangladesh needed four more balls to seal the win. Earlier in the over, Shanaka dismissed Mahedi Hasan LBW and then struck Jaker Ali’s stumps with a slower offcutter, adding to the late tension.
In the 5th ball, Nasum tapped it to backward point and sprinted through for the single. A direct hit could have run Shamim out, but he made it safely, giving Bangladesh a winning start to the Super Four.
The middle overs had seen Hridoy in commanding form. He reached his fifty off 31 balls with a single on the first delivery of the 17th over, scoring four fours and two sixes, and became only the fourth Bangladeshi to reach 1,000 T20I runs at the age of 22. Bangladesh added nine runs off Wanindu Hasaranga’s over, leaving 24 required from the final three overs.
In the 15th over, bowled by Kamindu Mendis, Hridoy struck 16 runs with two fours and a six, taking him to 44 off 27 balls while remaining unbeaten. Bangladesh needed 39 from five overs at that stage. The 16th over saw Shamim Hossain narrowly escape a run-out, and Bangladesh added six runs, leaving 33 required from 24 balls, with Hridoy on 49.
Saif Hassan played a pivotal role earlier, scoring his second T20I fifty off 35 balls in the 11th over with a single off Dunith Wellalage. He went past his previous highest score of 50 not out, moving to 50 off 35 balls. At the halfway mark of 10 overs, Bangladesh were 82/2, needing 87 from the remaining 10 overs, with Saif on 49 and Hridoy unbeaten on 8, having shared a 22-run partnership.
The innings had begun with a milestone as Litton Das broke Shakib Al Hasan’s record to become Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer in T20Is. He reached 2,556 runs in just 112 innings from 114 matches with a boundary off Dushmantha Chameera in the sixth over. However, Litton fell soon after attempting a big hit against Wanindu Hasaranga, caught at deep backward square leg for 23 off 16 balls, leaving Bangladesh at 60/2.
Litton goes past Shakib as Bangladesh steady in powerplay at 59/1
Bangladesh made a measured start in their Super Four clash against Sri Lanka, reaching 59 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. Litton Das overtook Shakib Al Hasan to become the country’s leading run-scorer in T20 internationals, while Saif Hasan provided early momentum with clean hitting.
Litton brought up the milestone in the sixth over, guiding Dushmantha Chameera to the boundary to surpass Shakib’s tally. His calm presence complemented Saif’s aggressive strokeplay at the other end.
Saif cleared Dunith Wellalage for a six in the fifth over, soon after the left-arm spinner’s return to the field following the passing of his father during Sri Lanka’s previous game. The right-hander went on to flick Nuwan Thushara for another maximum, adding to an earlier sequence of a four straight down the ground and a six over mid-on in the third over.
The only setback for Bangladesh came at the very start, when Tanzid Hasan fell for a duck to Thushara—repeating his dismissal against the same bowler in the group stage match in Abu Dhabi. This time, however, Bangladesh avoided the double early collapse and managed to rebuild steadily, reaching double figures without further loss inside two overs.
By the end of the sixth over, with Litton anchoring and Saif clearing the ropes, Bangladesh had posted a confident 59 for 1.
Shanaka’s fireworks lift Sri Lanka to 168
Dasun Shanaka’s explosive unbeaten 63 off 37 balls carried Sri Lanka to 168 for seven, after Bangladesh’s bowlers staged a disciplined fightback in the middle overs.
After reaching 56/1 at the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka found runs hard to come by. Mustafizur Rahman started the middle phase tightly, conceding just three runs in his first over. Off-spinner Mahedi Hasan then struck twice, first removing Kusal Mendis for 36 and later bowling Kamil Mishara for 5, leaving Sri Lanka at 65/3. Kusal Perera briefly reclaimed his record as the country’s highest T20I run-scorer but fell soon after for 16, with Litton Das taking the catch off Mustafizur.
From 91/3 at the halfway mark, Bangladesh kept things tight. Sri Lanka stumbled further to 98/4 when Perera departed. But Shanaka launched a counterattack, hitting a 101-metre six off Nasum Ahmed and clearing the ropes again in the same over. He found support in Charith Asalanka as the pair plundered 31 runs across the 15th and 16th overs.
Bangladesh had their chances, but dropped catches of both Shanaka and Asalanka proved costly. Shanaka, reprieved on 38, raced to his fifty with two sixes in an over from Shoriful Islam. Asalanka too survived a dropped catch before being run out for 21.
Mustafizur Rahman returned strongly, taking three wickets for 19, including Kamindu Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga in the 19th over. Yet Shanaka’s power-hitting, capped by a six off the final ball of Taskin Ahmed’s spell, ensured Sri Lanka posted a competitive total of 168/7.
Sri Lanka post a strong 53/1 in the powerplay
Sri Lanka got off to an impressive start, scoring 53 runs for the loss of one wicket in the powerplay in their Asia Cup Super Four encounter against Bangladesh on 20 September . Kusal Mendis led the charge with a quick 31 off 19 balls, including a towering six off Mahedi Hasan’s first over. Kamil Mishara, was yet to get off the mark.
Patum Nishanka made an early statement, smashing three consecutive fours in Shoriful Islam’s third over, helping Sri Lanka reach 36/0 in four overs. Kusal Mendis added to the momentum with a six in Nasum Ahmed’s fourth over, taking the team to 44/0 before Taskin Ahmed made a decisive impact.
Taskin struck in the fifth over, dismissing Nishanka for 22 off 15 balls. The Bangladesh pacer conceded just 2 runs from the next four deliveries after Nishanka’s initial six but made amends by taking the wicket on the last ball, caught by Saif Hasan at deep square leg.
By the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka were 53/1, with Mendis and Mishara at the crease. This marked the 50th T20I opening for the experienced pairing of Nishanka and Mendis, one of Sri Lanka’s most prolific opening partnerships.
Super Four: Bangladesh opt to bowl, make two changes vs Sri Lanka
Bangladesh chose to bowl first in their Super Four clash against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Tigers made two changes to their lineup, dropping Nurul Hasan Sohan and Rishad Hossain. Shak Mahedi Hasan and Shoriful Islam returned to the XI.
There had been speculation that Towhid Hridoy might lose his spot, but despite his recent batting struggles, he retained his place.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, kept faith in their winning combination and named an unchanged XI for the match against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh (Playing XI): Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das (w/c), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (w), Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (c), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara
