Sri Lanka crush Bangladesh to seal commanding victory in Asia Cup T20 clash

In the Group B Asia Cup 2025 T20I match, Sri Lanka thrashed Bangladesh by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, 24NewsHD TV reported. 

Put into bat first, Bangladesh posted a total of 139 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.  

Sri Lanka chased the target after losing four wickets (with 32 balls remaining) comfortably.  

Bangladesh’s bowlers, under pressure from the outset, failed to build sustained momentum against Sri Lanka’s aggressive batting approach.

 Despite Mahedi Hasan’s commendable effort, claiming two crucial wickets, the rest of the attack struggled to restrict the flow of runs.

The lack of breakthroughs allowed Sri Lankan batters to settle in and steer the chase confidently.

AFP adds: Former champions Sri Lanka emphatically launched their Asia Cup campaign on Sunday, cruising to a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi.

Chasing 140, the islanders got home with 32 balls to spare.

A blazing 95-run stand off just 52 deliveries for the second wicket between Pathum Nissanka (50) and Kamil Mishara provided the backbone of the innings.

Mishara arrived at the crease after Kusal Mendis fell in the second over. He took time to settle but soon cut loose, cracking Shoriful Islam for three consecutive boundaries.

Nissanka compiled his 16th half-century before holing out in the deep. By then Sri Lanka had the game firmly in their grip.

Mishara, a newcomer to the side, remained unbeaten on 46 to see his team across the line.

The platform for the win was earlier built by Sri Lanka's bowlers, who throttled Bangladesh to under 139-5 from their 20 overs.

Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara struck with the new ball, sending down two maidens and removing both openers. By the third over, Bangladesh were nought for two and never recovered.

Sri Lanka's fielders played their part too with Mishara's direct hit from deep square leg running out Towhid Hridoy to deepen the rot.

At 53-5 at halfway, Bangladesh were reeling, as leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, returning from injury, stamped his class with two for 25.

A spirited unbroken 86-run stand for the sixth wicket between Jaker Ali (41) and Shamim Hossain (42) gave Bangladesh something to bowl at, but it was never enough to trouble Sri Lanka's powerful batting unit.

Defending champions in the T20 format, Sri Lanka now head to Dubai for their next clash against Hong Kong on Monday.

"We knew that we had to just score seven runs an over and when I walked in Pathum asked me to take my time. Once the loose balls were on offer, I played a few shots. I have been working very hard on my game. Happy to have helped my country win a game," Mishara said.

"This is not a 140 pitch. We should have scored much more than that. They put us under pressure during the Power Play and we never recovered. Our next game against Afghanistan is a must win clash. We will try our best," Bangladesh captain Litton Das said.

Selecting the field first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka's decision proved successful initially, as Bangladesh's top-order batting lineup struggled from the outset.

Both openers, Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain, were dismissed without scoring, putting early pressure on the team.

Following these early setbacks, Captain Litton Das played an innings of 28 runs but was unable to form a substantial partnership.

The middle overs brought further trouble as Towhid Hridoy was run out for just 8 runs, and Mahmudullah was adjudged LBW for 9.

At this crucial juncture, middle-order batsmen Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain displayed responsible batting and steadied the innings.

Jaker Ali played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 41 runs off 34 balls, while Shamim Hossain scored 42 runs from 34 deliveries, setting Sri Lanka a target of 140 runs to win.

For the Sri Lankan bowlers, Wanindu Hasaranga was the most prominent, taking 2 wickets for 25 runs.

Nuwan Thushara and Dasuntha Chameera took one wicket each, while Shanaka and Matheesha Pathirana failed to take any wickets.  

 Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first against Bangladesh in the group stage encounter. 

The match has been billed as one of the tournament’s most significant contests, with a large crowd of enthusiastic fans filling the stands to witness the clash.

Sri Lankan captain, explaining the decision at the toss, said his team’s strategy was to restrict Bangladesh to a manageable total and then chase it down with ease.

He expressed confidence in his pace and spin attack, stating that the bowlers can shift the momentum in Sri Lanka’s favor during the early overs.

On the other side, the Bangladesh captain welcomed the chance to bat first, calling it a positive opportunity for his side.

 He stressed that the team’s focus would be on posting a strong total to build pressure on the opposition. He added that Bangladesh’s batting lineup is well-balanced and that conditions in Dubai are expected to support good scoring.
 

Playing XIs

Bangladesh XI: 1 Pervez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.
 
Sri Lanka XI: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Nuwan Thushara.