Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka gave Sri Lanka a storming start and set up a comfortable 7-wicket win in the opening T20I against Bangladesh on Thursday (10th July) in Pallekele.
Chasing 155 to win, Sri Lanka’s openers got them off to a blazing start. Pathum Nissanka began the innings with three consecutive boundaries off Tanzim Hasan, setting the tone for the chase. Kusal Mendis then smashed 16 runs in the second over off Taskin Ahmed and followed it up with 33 runs in the next two overs, as the islanders raced to 64 in just four overs.
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In the process, Sri Lanka reached their fifty in only 19 balls. Nissanka and Mendis added 78 for the first wicket before the former was dismissed for a blistering 42 off just 16 deliveries, helping Sri Lanka post their highest-ever powerplay score of 83.
Mendis went on to register his 16th T20I half-century and added a further 42-run stand with Kusal Perera, who fell for 24. Bangladesh desperately needed something special to remove Mendis, and Shamim Hossain provided it with a stunning one-handed catch at cover—but by then it was too late for the visitors. The in-form Mendis top-scored with 73 off 51 balls, striking five fours and three sixes, as Sri Lanka cruised to a seven-wicket win with an over to spare, sealed by a six from Charith Asalanka.
Earlier, Bangladesh started well with 54 runs in the powerplay, losing just one wicket. Parvez Hossain and Tanzid Hasan added 46 runs for the opening wicket before Nuwan Thushara drew first blood for Sri Lanka, with the latter falling for 16.
The Lankan bowlers took control after the first six overs, claiming three quick wickets. Skipper Litton Das was trapped LBW by Jeffrey Vandersay before Maheesh Theekshana picked up the crucial scalp of Parvez, who had batted well for his 38 at a strike rate of 172.73. Towhid Hridoy struggled at the crease and was eventually dismissed by the comeback man Dasun Shanaka, caught behind, leaving Bangladesh at 89 for 4 with the run rate dipping to 7.15.
Mohammad Naim and Mehidy Hasan tried to rebuild the innings. They looked for a strong finish, but just as the partnership started to gather momentum, Mehidy perished for 29 in the penultimate over, ending a 46-run stand. Shamim Hossain struck a couple of sixes as Bangladesh added 46 runs in the final five overs to finish on 154/5 at the end of 20 overs.
Theekshana was expensive but claimed two wickets, while Shanaka, on his return, bowled an economical 4-over spell for 1 for 22. Vandersay also chipped in with tidy figures of 1 for 25.
Earlier, Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka opted to bowl first after winning the toss. The hosts made three changes from their last T20I appearance against New Zealand. Former captain Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne returned to the playing XI, replacing Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Chamindu Wickramasinghe. Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay was also included after Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury sustained during the third ODI.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, made three changes from their previous T20I against Pakistan. Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Taskin Ahmed came into the side, replacing Jaker Ali, Hasan Mahmud, and Khaled Ahmed.
Teams:
Sri Lanka – Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (WK), Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka (C), Dasun Shanaka, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara
Bangladesh – Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Litton Das (WK/C), Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Saifuddin, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed
 in Pallekele.){kind=link}