With Vishmi Gunaratne scoring her third T20I half-century at the helm, Sri Lanka easily defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in Dambulla. Sri Lanka needed just 17 balls to reach the 112-run mark.
Four wickets in the powerplay early in the match put Bangladesh under pressure. They were constantly playing catch-up after that. Even with a respectable comeback in the middle overs and a late batting flourish, it was ultimately insufficient. Conversely, Sri Lanka had achieved a reasonably consistent start to what turned out to be a modest aim, even if they lost their captain during that time.
Udeshika Prabodhani claims 3 wickets
Dilare Akter hit a full-pitched delivery over the umpire’s head to give Bangladesh a boundary off the first ball, but Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoshi Priyadharshini’s double strikes put Sri Lanka ahead early and left Bangladesh reeling, their top order back in the dugout. Ruby Haider and Ishma Tanjim were eliminated for being ducks.
Nigar Sultana had a poor start, but as soon as the field limits were removed, they looked to counterattack. She hit Achini Kulasuriya with a pair of boundaries in the eighth over. In the eleventh over, Chamari Athapaththu dismissed Shorifa Khatun, turning the tide in Sri Lanka’s favour and impeding their progress for the remainder of the phase.
During the last overs, Sultana and Akter launched an onslaught. With three boundaries in the 18th over, the latter dismissed Dilhari and helped Bangladesh surpass 100 runs. In the final over of the innings, Nigar also joined the attack, hitting Prabodhani for a couple of boundaries by driving him into the long on and long off area.
Athapaththu ended the second over by slog-sweeping Khatun for a six after a sluggish start. She even pulled Akter for a boundary a few overs later, providing early warning of the danger Bangladesh faced in defending their score. But in the final over of the powerplay, the skipper of Sri Lanka departed, holing out in the deep, giving the bowler the last laugh.
Vishmi Gunaratne shines with the bat for Sri Lanka
Bangladesh’s bowling attack delivered the decisive punch during the powerplay, but they were unable to put sufficient pressure on the Sri Lankans. Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne kept the chase under control and paced it strategically. Together, they put up 54 runs for the second wicket, but Nahida quickly removed the former after she scored her third T20I half-century. When Sultana Khatun was hit out of the park in the eleventh over after being hammered for a couple of boundaries in the eighth, she was very harsh with her.
By the 17th over, Samarawickrama was winning. After Shorna Akter was first swept for a boundary, the batter was able to find numerous additional fours with the assistance of a few outside edges. Even though Bangladesh eventually managed to remove her for 33, it was only a small comfort because Dilhari took the side across the finish line six balls later when he lofted Marufa Akter for a four-over extra cover.
The best scorers for Sri Lanka with the bat were Vishmi Gunaratne (51 off 48 balls), Harshitha Samarawickrama (33 off 31 balls), and Kavisha Dilhari (12 off 8 balls). Marufa Akter (3.1-0-15-0) and Nahida Akter (4-0-12-3) were Bangladesh’s best ball players. Vishmi Gunaratne, the 18-year-old youthful stunning opener for Sri Lanka, won Player of the Match for her side’s outstanding match-winning performance (51 off 48 balls).
Brief Score: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Match 4 of Asia Cup 2024
Sri Lanka 114 for 3 (Gunaratne 51, Samarawickrama 33, Nahida 3-12) beat Bangladesh 111 for 8 (Nigar 48*, Shorna 25, Priyadharshani 2-17, Prabodhani 2-20) by 7 wickets.
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