Dubai, Sep 20 (IANS) A brilliant counter-attacking half-century by Dasun Shanaka helped Sri Lanka recover from a precarious position to reach a challenging 168/7 in 20 overs against Bangladesh in the opening match of the Super 4 stage of the Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.

It was a riveting contest as Sri Lanka started at a brisk pace, but were pulled back by the loss of four quick wickets before Shanaka got into the act and hauled them to a defendable total. The former Sri Lanka skipper stormed to his half-century off 30 balls and helped the team to set a stiff target for Bangladesh, when the average total in this event has been 150.

For Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman came back strongly to claim three wickets for 20 runs, two of them in the penultimate over, while Mahedi Hasan bagged 2-25 in the first half of the innings.

Earlier asked to bat first, Sri Lanka were off to a fine start as they reached 53/1 in the Power-play on a pitch which was hosting its third match played a bit slower than expected.

Kusal Mendis came out firing, hammering three sixes to race to 34 off 25 balls and gave the former champions a good start despite losing fellow opener Pathum Nissanka for 22 from 15 balls (3×4, 1×6). Nissanka and Mendis raised 44 runs for the first wicket before Taskin Ahmed made the breakthrough by getting Nissanka caught by Saif Hassan in the fifth over.

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das’ decision to introduce Mahedi Hasan, one of the two changes in the playing XI for this match, paid off when the off-spinner sent back Kusal Mendis soon after the Power-play to make it 58/2. Mahedi Hasan struck another quick blow by sending back Kamil Mishara (5), and Mustafizur Rahman accounted for Kusal Perera, who scored a run-a-ball 16, and Sri Lanka were down to 97/4 in the 14th over.

But former skipper Shanaka and current captain Charith Asalanka played the rescue as they extricated the Sri Lanka innings from the difficult situation to post a challenging total.

Shanaka played a brilliant counter-attacking 64 not out off 37 balls, hitting six maximums besides three boundaries as he set up Sri Lanka for a strong finish in their innings. He shared a 57-run partnership with Asalanka (21 off 12 balls) for the fifth wicket as they dominated the bowling.

Shanaka, who enjoyed a life from the butterfingered Bangladesh fielders who grassed three catches in all, started with a boundary off the first ball he faced from Mahedi Hasan in the 10th over. It was Sri Lanka’s first boundary in 22 balls, and soon there was a flurry of shots after he got his eye in with a few singles. Shanaka hammered his first six off Shariful over deep midwicket and followed that up with a four and six in successive balls off Nasum Ahmed, who was blasted for another six two balls later. Back-to-back sixes off Shoriful Islam followed in the 18th over, and ended it with a four off the first ball of the final over and a six on the last delivery bowled by Taskin Ahmed.

In between, Mustafizur Rahman (3-20) sent back Kamindu Mendis 91) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2) in the 19th over to apply brakes on the rampaging Sri Lankan batters. However, some good batting by Shanaka ensured that Sri Lanka ended up with 15-20 runs more than they looked like getting at one stage.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 168/7 in 20 overs (Dasun Shanaka 64 not out; Kusal Mendis 34; Mustafizur Rahman 3-20, Mahedi Hasan 2-25) against Bangladesh.

–IANS

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