Sri Lanka Dominate Bangladesh in 1st T20I Thriller

Pallekele, July 10, 2025 – Sri Lanka kicked off their T20I series against Bangladesh in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 7-wicket win with an over to spare. A fiery opening partnership between Kusal Mendis (73 off 51) and Pathum Nissanka (42 off 16) laid the foundation for the chase, while Sri Lanka’s bowlers set the tone earlier by restricting Bangladesh to 154/5 19.

Match Highlights

1. Explosive Start: Sri Lanka’s chase began with a 78-run stand in just 4.4 overs, as Nissanka’s 16-ball blitz (5 fours, 3 sixes) and Mendis’ aggressive batting left Bangladesh reeling. The duo’s 30-run over off Tanzim Hasan and Taskin Ahmed was a standout moment 914.
2. Bowling Restraint: Bangladesh’s innings faltered after a bright start from Parvez Hossain Emon (38 off 22). Spinners Jeffrey Vandersay and Dasun Shanaka (1/22) stifled the middle overs, allowing only 65 runs between overs 7–17 49.
3. Late Flourish: Shamim Hossain’s cameo (14* off 5) and a stunning catch to dismiss Mendis were rare bright spots for Bangladesh, but their total proved inadequate 79.

Post-Match Reactions

1. Charith Asalanka (SL Captain): Credited the decision to chase, citing the LPL’s trend of successful run-chases at Pallekele. Praised Vandersay’s impact and highlighted fielding as an area for improvement 18.
2. Litton Das (BAN Captain): Admitted batting failures but backed Taskin Ahmed despite his expensive spell. Lauded Rishad Hossain’s growth as a spinner 39.
3. Kusal Mendis (Player of the Match): Dedicated his knock to the crowd and emphasized adapting to the slow pitch after Nissanka’s early fireworks 114.

Key Stats

1. Powerplay Contrast: Bangladesh scored 54 in their first 6 overs; Sri Lanka raced to 83, the highest T20I powerplay score at the venue 49.
2. Impact Players: Mendis (MVP with 80.74 impact points) and Nissanka (68.41) overshadowed Bangladesh’s Emon (48.24) 34.