ISLAMABAD/DUBAI: Half-centuries from Towhid Hridoy and Saif Hassan helped Bangladesh secure a thrilling four-wicket win over former champions Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage of the Men’s Asia Cup in Dubai on Saturday.
After being comprehensively beaten by Sri Lanka in the group stage, Bangladesh bounced back strongly, opting to bowl first after winning the toss.
Chasing 169, Bangladesh seemed comfortably placed, needing just 10 runs off the final 10 balls with seven wickets in hand. However, the game took a dramatic turn when Hridoy was trapped lbw by Dushmantha Chameera in the 19th over. Dasun Shanaka then added to the tension with two wickets in the last over, but Nasum Ahmed held his nerve and sealed victory with a cheeky single to cover off the penultimate delivery.
The bowlers had earlier done well to restrict Sri Lanka to 168 for seven on a batting-friendly surface. Despite three dropped catches, which allowed Sri Lanka to reach a more competitive total, Bangladesh's chase looked mostly under control.
Saif Hassan gave the innings early momentum, smashing 61 off 45 balls, including two fours and four sixes. Hridoy followed up with a well-paced 58 off 37 balls, hitting four boundaries and two sixes along the way. His innings also saw him reach the milestone of 1000 T20I runs.
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack lacked depth, with part-timers having to cover four overs—something Bangladesh exploited effectively.
Dunith Wellalage featured in the match after arriving in Dubai the same morning, having briefly returned to Colombo to attend his father's funeral, who passed away on Thursday.
Sri Lanka's top scorer was former captain Dasun Shanaka, who struck a brisk 64 off 37 balls—his first T20I half-century since January 2023.
The match was played on the same pitch used for the Pakistan-UAE game.
Pakistan-India rematch
From Group A, Pakistan and India will meet in their second clash of the tournament tomorrow, and a potential third showdown between the two is possible if both qualify for the final on September 28 in Dubai.
India, the reigning Asia Cup champions from the last 50-over edition, enter the knockout stages as strong favorites to retain their title.
Pakistan and India progressed from Group A, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh advanced from Group B.
Beyond regional bragging rights, the Asia Cup also serves as key preparation for the T20 World Cup, scheduled for February-March in India and Sri Lanka.