Sri Lanka was outplayed by a rejuvenated Bangladesh in winning a crucial Super Four opener of the 2025 Asia Cup in a marked comeback revenge hurrah with a ball to spare reaching an emphatic 169 for 6 wickets in overrunning a modest 169 for 7 on what turned out to be a batting friendly track at Dubai’s International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
q1 Bangladesh shed their hitherto lukewarm performances in the tournament when they went down badly in the group game to the Lankans by a conspicuous turn around batting and bowling display led by opening batsman Saif Hassan 61 off 45 balls sword edged by 4 sixes and 2 boundaries and a back to his best fast man Mustafizur Rahman a 3-wicket grab for 20 runs that broke the back of the Lankan batting with only former captain Dasun Shanaka shooting his way to a last ditch unbeaten 68 sword edged by 6 sixes and 3 boundaries.
Bangladesh’s chase was boosted by a 37 ball 58 by Towhid Hridoy with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes while skipper Litton Das measured in 23 off 16 with 3 boundaries in a game changing second wicket 60 stand in the power play 6.3 overs in offsetting a 1 for 1 decimation by Nuwan Thushara in the very first over fifth ball strike when the Lankan quick clean bowled Tanzid Hasan for a second ball duck.
Put into bat, Sri Lanka lost the initiative of a 44 first wicket pairing between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis after the former fell for 22 to Taskin Ahmed caught by Saif Hassan in the last ball of the fifth over. Mendis was removed by fast man Mustafizur Rahman, back to his element from a lean run as he went on to finish with 3 for 20 accounting for Kusal Janith Perera nicking behind to the wicket-keeper for 16 and Kamindu Mendis in identical fashion for a second ball 1 as in-between Mahedi Hasan took the second wicket to fall clean bowling Kamil Mishara for for 5 off 11 as Sri Lanka slid to 97 for 4 after 13.4 overs.
Skipper Charith Asalanka joined former captain Dasun Shanaka promoted ahead to No 5 in adding a valuable 57 for the fifth wicket, but his run out by Das proved to be a turning point in the game as Sri Lanka’s charge for a bigger total was crushed when on a flight with the score 154 for 5 after 18.1 as the explosive Kamindu Mendis was bundled out two balls later by Rahman.
The gloomy stage was to herald the comeback from the wilderness of run making of Dasun Shanaka who turned it big with a superlative unbeaten innings of 68 off 37 balls, 48 of which in the blaze of six mighty piercing shots to the stands and 3 to the ropes in a virtual lone battle with Bangladesh watching Sri Lanka’s hero against Hong Kong Wanindu Hasaranga fall for 2, a victim of Mustafizur Rahman.
Dasun Shanaka rides back with cameo 68, but Bangladesh prevail in Super Four win over Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was outplayed by a rejuvenated Bangladesh in winning a crucial Super Four opener of the 2025 Asia Cup in a marked comeback revenge hurrah with a ball to spare reaching an emphatic 169 for 6 wickets in overrunning a modest 169 for 7 on what turned out to be a batting friendly track at Dubai’s International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
q1 Bangladesh shed their hitherto lukewarm performances in the tournament when they went down badly in the group game to the Lankans by a conspicuous turn around batting and bowling display led by opening batsman Saif Hassan 61 off 45 balls sword edged by 4 sixes and 2 boundaries and a back to his best fast man Mustafizur Rahman a 3-wicket grab for 20 runs that broke the back of the Lankan batting with only former captain Dasun Shanaka shooting his way to a last ditch unbeaten 68 sword edged by 6 sixes and 3 boundaries.
Bangladesh’s chase was boosted by a 37 ball 58 by Towhid Hridoy with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes while skipper Litton Das measured in 23 off 16 with 3 boundaries in a game changing second wicket 60 stand in the power play 6.3 overs in offsetting a 1 for 1 decimation by Nuwan Thushara in the very first over fifth ball str TVike when the Lankan quick clean bowled Tanzid Hasan for a second ball duck.