Shorna Akter’s 45-ball 60 ultimately couldn’t steer Bangladesh to victory, as Sri Lanka produced a balanced all-round display to claim a 25-run win in the opening T20I at Sylhet. Half-centuries from Harshitha Samarawickrama and Imesha Dulani, backed by Chamari Athapaththu’s impact with both bat and ball, helped Sri Lanka take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Tuesday.
Key takeaways
- Sri Lanka won the first T20I by 25 runs in Sylhet, taking the series lead 1-0.
- Harshitha Samarawickrama made 61 off 35 balls and Imesha Dulani struck 55 off 40 balls to anchor Sri Lanka’s innings.
- Chamari Athapaththu delivered an all-round showing of 32 runs plus figures of 2-19.
- Bangladesh were set 162 but finished on 136/7, with Shorna Akter top-scoring on 60.
- Despite a 39-run recovery stand between Shorna and Sobhana Mostary, the required run rate kept rising.
Sri Lanka post 161/4 after a strong middle-overs platform
Chasing Sri Lanka’s total, Bangladesh’s innings began briskly, but Sri Lanka’s batting started with an early jolt. Put in to bat, Sri Lanka lost opener Hasini Perera soon after the innings got underway. Even with that slow start, Athapaththu and Dulani steadied matters and began building their partnership.
The second-wicket duo added 42 runs from 32 deliveries before the departure that came as Sultana Khatun struck again, removing the batter who had been holding the innings together. From there, Dulani and Samarawickrama took control, stitching an 80-run stand that proved decisive in shaping Sri Lanka’s final score.
Samarawickrama, who had already sent Khatun over the ropes for a six in the 14th over, accelerated soon after Dulani reached a half-century. She struck a boundary and then cleared the field deep mid-wicket for another six off Fariha Trisna in the 18th over. The momentum continued immediately after, as she struck Nahida Akter for four in the following over to move past her own 50.
With the innings entering its final phase, Samarawickrama made sure Sri Lanka finished strongly. Before being dismissed on the last ball of the innings, she scored 12 runs off the final over, leaving Sri Lanka in a commanding position at 161/4.
Bangladesh’s chase falters as wickets pile up
Bangladesh’s openers Dilara Akter and Juairiya Ferdous set the tone early, combining for 39 runs in 21 balls. Ferdous, however, couldn’t convert the start into a bigger score and was stumped by Athapaththu, which shifted the balance back towards the visitors.
Bangladesh struggled to capitalise after that breakthrough and the chase turned tense. In the span of 12 balls, they slipped to 44/4, leaving them under pressure and scrambling to keep up with the required tempo.
Shorna Akter and Sobhana Mostary then provided a brief lift, putting together a 39-run stand. But once the partnership ended, the run rate had already slipped to around a run-a-ball, forcing Bangladesh to take more risks in search of acceleration.
Athapaththu ended that resistance as well in the 14th over, stumping Mostary for 16. Even as Shorna kept fighting, the asking rate rose sharply with limited support from the other end. She crossed her half-century, but her effort was cut short when she was run out on the final ball of the innings.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka 161/4 (20 overs): Harshitha Samarawickrama 61 (35), Imesha Dulani 55 (40). Bangladesh bowling: Sultana Khatun 2-29. Bangladesh 136/7 (20 overs): Shorna Akter 60 (45), Dilara Akter 23. Sri Lanka bowling: Chamari Athapaththu 2-19, Malki Madara 2-31. Sri Lanka won by 25 runs.
