SYLHET: Dasun Shanaka demonstrated remarkable composure in a tense situation, claiming two crucial wickets in the final over to secure a thrilling three-run victory for Sri Lanka in the inaugural T20I of their series against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Monday.
Bangladesh, chasing a target of 207 runs, was propelled close to victory by Jaker Ali’s maiden fifty until Shanaka intervened, dismissing him for 68 runs off 34 balls with just three deliveries remaining. Despite a late surge by Shoriful Islam, who managed a boundary off the next ball, Bangladesh fell short, ending at 203-8. Shanaka’s pivotal contributions, which included dismissing Rishad Hossain on the first ball of the decisive over, earned him figures of 2-36.
Angelo Mathews and Mahmudullah Riyad also made significant impacts, claiming 2-17 and scoring 54 runs respectively. Earlier, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis provided a solid foundation for Sri Lanka, each scoring a half-century to propel their team to a formidable total of 206-3.
Stand-in captain Charith Asalanka’s unbeaten 44 further boosted Sri Lanka’s innings, as Mendis and Samarawickrama’s partnership of 96 runs set the stage for their team’s victory. The series kickstarts Sri Lanka’s month-long tour of Bangladesh, featuring three one-day internationals and two Tests in addition to the T20 matches.
