Sri Lanka thrash Bangladesh by six wickets

Thisara Perera and Dasun Shanaka played powerful knocks, picking up runs in quick time to ensure an easy victory for the Lankans in the first T20 of the series.

Sri Lanka reached the target with six wickets and 20 balls to spare as they went up 1-0 in the two-match series. Shanaka blazed an unbeaten 42 off 24 balls while Perera remained not out on an 18-ball 39 as Tigers bowlers were smashed to all corners of the park.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were off to a flier thanks to left-hander Danushka Gunathilaka, who raced to 30 off 15 deliveries and Kusal Mendis, who was batting on 21. The duo ensured that Lankans reach their first 50 inside just five overs but debutant Nazmul removed Gunathilaka, out stumped in the fifth over to make a breakthrough for the Tigers.

Mendis then unleashed fury in the next over and Mustafizur Rahman was on the receiving end as the batsman struck three boundaries on the trot off the first three deliveries of the sixth over. Mendis continued to take the game away from the Tigers and he reached his fifty in style with a six off Afif to bring up his first T20 fifty.

 The off-spinner, however, got his revenge as Mendis went for a big one but was holed out at long-off in the eight over. Nazmul got his second wicket when he removed Upul Tharanga in the ninth over with the Lanka score at 92. Rubel then got the scalp of Niroshan Dickwella in the twelfth over to bring the Tigers back into the game but Perera and Shanaka ensured that Sri Lanka reached home without breaking a sweat.

Earlier Mushfiqur Rahim blazes an unbeaten 66 off 44 deliveries which helps Tigers to their highest T20 score, beating the 190 for five they set against Ireland back in 2012.

Mushfiqur’s thunderous knock propelled the Tigers to 193 for the loss of five wickets as the diminutive right-hander struck seven fours and a six to also record his highest score in T20I cricket. He and skipper Mahmudullah Riyad starred in a fine 53-ball 73 as Tigers went after the Lankan bowling, looking to redeem themselves after the ODI and T20 disappointments. Mahmudullah struck some sweetly timed shots including a glorious six over extra-cover off Shehan Madushanka.

Mahmudullah contributed with a fine 31-ball 43, hitting two fours and two sixes before falling to Isuru Udana in the 19th over. Sabbir failed to impress, getting bowled by Thisara Perera in the last over after scoring just one. Mushfiqur’s cheeky shot in the last over helped Tigers go past their previous highest score as he opened the face of his bat to steer Perera through third man for four.

Soumya Sarkar makes a stormy return to the Tigers' squad as he struck a 32-ball 51. After missing from the squad for the ODI and the Test series, Soumya made a statement with this smashing fifty.

The left-handed batsman put away Shehan Madushanka for a four and six in the very first over. He started his innings with a punch that fans have come to expect from him – a trademark punch through mid-wicket for four. He then top-edged the pacer for six over the keeper’s head.

Bangladesh  1st innings

 Zakir Hasan      b Danushka Gunathilaka                   10

 Soumya Sarkar    lbw Jeevan Mendis                        51

 Mushfiqur Rahim  Not Out                                  66

 Afif Hossain     c Niroshan Dickwella b Jeevan Mendis      0

 Mahmudullah      c Akila Dananjaya b Isuru Udana          43

 Sabbir Rahman    b Thisara Perera                          1

 Ariful Haque     Not Out                                   1

 Extras           1b 3lb 1nb 0pen 16w                      21

 Total            (20.0 overs)                          193-5

Fall of Wickets : 1-49 Hasan, 2-100 Sarkar, 3-100 Dhrubo, 4-173 Mahmudullah, 5-186 Rahman

Did Not Bat : Saifuddin, Islam, Rahman, Hossain

Bowling:  Shehan Madushanka 3-0-39-0, Danushka Gunathilaka   2-0-16-1, Isuru Udana 4-0-45-1, Thisara Perera  4- 0-36-1,  Akila Dananjaya 4-0-32-0, Jeevan Mendis 3-0-21-2

Sri Lanka  1st innings

 Kusal Mendis          c Soumya Sarkar b Afif Hossain           53

 Danushka Gunathilaka  st Mushfiqur Rahim b Nazmul Islam        30

 Upul Tharanga         c Afif Hossain b Nazmul Islam             4

 Dasun Shanaka         Not Out                                  42

 Niroshan Dickwella    c Mohammad Saifuddin b Rubel Hossain     11

 Thisara Perera        Not Out                                  39

 Extras                0b 3lb 0nb 0pen 12w                      15

 Total                 (16.4 overs)                          194-4

Fall of Wickets : 1-53 Gunathilaka, 2-90 Mendis, 3-92 Tharanga, 4-129 Dickwella

Did Not Bat : Chandimal, Mendis, Perera, Kumara, Tillakaratna

Bowling: Nazmul Islam 4-0-25-2, Mohammad Saifuddin 2-0-33-0, Mahmudullah 2-0-23-0, Rubel Hossain 3.4-0-52-1, Mustafizur Rahman 3-0-32-0, Afif Hossain 2-0-26-1