On Sunday, Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by five wickets in their ICC T20 World Cup Super 12 encounter. Bangladesh batted and scored a challenging 171 for 4 against Sri Lanka in their Group 1 match. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first.

At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka completed their most successful run chase in T20 World Cups thanks to the brilliance of Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa. The Lankans chased down their own target of 172 with seven balls to spare. Charith Asalanka top-scored with an undefeated 80 off 49 deliveries, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa smashed 53 off just 31 deliveries. Sri Lanka didn’t get off to a good start, losing Kusal Perera in the first over. But it was Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka’s second-wicket partnership that drew Sri Lanka back into the contest. Before the latter left, they had put up a crucial 69-run alliance. Soon after, Avishka Fernando was dismissed for a duck, and Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka’s in-form batsman, was also dismissed for 6 runs.

Talking about Bangladesh, they got off to a flying start, dismissing the dangerous Kusal Perera early on thanks to some deft bowling from Nasum Ahmed. The Sri Lankan hitters came after them in the Powerplay, and they lost some momentum, but it was their game-changer, Shakib Al Hasan, who took two wickets in a single over, allowing Bangladesh to reclaim the lead. The other bowlers failed to keep the pressure on Lanka’s hitters, and their fielding was also subpar, with a couple of vital catches lost. 

Overall, the Bangladesh Tigers would be upset because they were unable to defend their score after batting brilliantly on a difficult pitch. Let’s see what unfolds and whether the Lions will face the Tigers once again!