Video: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 21 points in Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match. Check out the highlights of SL vs. BAN.
Sri Lanka were asked to bat at the R Premadasa Stadium and were scored 257-9. Pathum Nissanka scored his 40 and Kusar Mendis his 50, but the biggest contribution was from his No. 4 Sadira Samara Wickrama.
With some brilliant stroke play, hitting eight fours and two sixes, Samarawickrama hit 93 off 72 of the 140 balls his team scored during his time at the crease. For Bangladesh, Takin Ahmed won with his 3-62, Shoriful Islam with his 2-48 and Hasan Mahmood with his 3-57.
“When we saw the pitch, we talked about how it wasn’t a 320 pitch. It’s a 250 surface…If we had played too early and too hard, we might have been eliminated at 220. So after the start, I tried to take the team to 250 points,” Samarawickrama said in the post-match press conference.
Bangladesh got off to a strong start. Opening pitchers Miraz, the speckled Mohammad Naim and the fluent Mehdi Hasan, added 55 runs off 67 balls, but Mahesh Teekshana (3-69), Dasun Shanaka (3-28), Matisha – Pathirana (3 wins, 58 losses) led to 83 wins and 4 losses.
At this point Towhid Hridoy assumed command. With Mushfiqur Rahim (29) in a supporting role, he added 73 for the fifth wicket and continued to shoot until Teekshana made a 97-ball 82. In total, he hit 4 times his 7 times and 6 times his 1 time.
Bangladesh needed 42 off 25 balls when No. 11 Mahmood moved to No. 9 Nasum Ahmed. They quickly added to his 20, with Pathirana eliminating Nasum with a yorker.
After losing both matches, Bangladesh must beat India to qualify for the final. I hope the rest of the matches go well. Pakistan (net run rate +1.051) and Sri Lanka (+0.420) have won their only Super 4 matches but have yet to play India.
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