Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh Highlights T20 World Cup 2021: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 5 wickets in Sharjah

“Happy that I could help Sri Lanka win the game. It looked like a very good pitch when I walked out to bat, so I tried to play my shots. Rajapaksha was the game changer, he played a few wonderful shots. I want to keep this up and keep winning games for my country.”

A memorable win for Sri Lanka in Sharjah! This is Sri Lanka's highest successful run chase at the T20 World Cup.

A phenomenal knock from Rajapaksa! He laced three sixes and three boundaries to score a 28-ball half-century and become the first batter to score a fifty on his birthday in T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh stuttered, Liton Das made two costly drops and the two batters at the crease made most of the opportunity to grab the momentum and keep Sri Lanka well on track for a victory in Sharjah. Birthday boy Rajapaksa smashed two sixes and two boundaries against Saifuddin to milk 22 runs off the over as he reduced to the equation to 24 off 24.

He smokes the widish delivery from Mahmudullah downtown for a maximum and then slog sweeps the fourth delivery over deep mid-wicket. 16 off the over! Sri Lanka now have the momentum, completely, and need 51 more from 36 deliveries.

He shimmied down to punch the widish ball from Afif Hossain for a six and then swept the third ball for a boundary. Meanwhile, Asalanka notched up his half-century, off 32 deliveries.

Sri Lanka 105/4 in 13 overs

Sri Lanka quickly losing the plot! They looked well set for the chase riding on that 69-run stand for the second wicket, but the likes of Shakib and Saifuddin have dented their charge and they have now gone four down at the end of 10 overs. Hasaranga is the fourth batsman to depart, scoring just 6 off 5.

Sri Lanka 80/4 in 10 overs

With twin dismissals in the same over - of Nissanka and Avishka Fernando - Shakib has now surpassed Shahid Afridi to become the leading wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history. He now has 41 wickets to his name in the tournament. 

Sri Lanka 72 for three in 9 overs

The 52-run stand off 34 balls, stitched by Nissanka and Asalanka, have helped Sri Lanka revive after the early dismissal of Kusal Perera. Sri Lanka have managed 54 runs for the loss of one wicket in the powerplay, scoring three boundaries and three sixes.

He slog swept Mahedi Hasan for a boundary down deep square leg, then smashed Nasum for two sixes - one over deep square and the other over deep extra cover. He then cracked another boundary against Saifuddin, scoring 27 off 13 already.

Sri Lanka 34/1 in 4 overs.

Nasum Amhed strikes and Sri Lanka lose Kusal Perera for just 1 (3) in the fourth ball of their chase. He replaced Taskin Ahmed for the game, and Bangladesh have been spot on with the selection. A slower ball on a good length which spun off the deck to rattle against the off stump.

Sri Lanka 2/1 in 0.3 overs

Sri Lankan openers, Perera and Nissanka, make their way out to the middle. Nasun Ahmed will open the attack for Bangladesh.

“It was a good wicket to bat on. We have been looking at all the IPL matches and also in the last few matches, 140 was a par score. Today the wicket was pretty good, so we have to bowl and field really well to restrict them. In the last few days, we saw that as the day progressed it was difficult to bat. Also they are a young side, we wanted put scoreboard pressure on them.”

Brilliant half-centuries from Naim and Mushfiqur guide Bangladesh to an impressive 171 for 4. 

Afif Hossain run out 7 (6) as Bangladesh lose their fourth wicket. But Mushfiqur's fiery knock keep Bangladesh on course for a big finish. Final over awaits!

Despite's Naim's departure, Bangladesh are set for a big finish and the man responsible has now got a half-century off just 32 balls. This is now his highest T20I score and only second fifty-plus knock in T20Is in the last three years, after 43-ball 60 against India in Delhi in 2019.

Bangladesh 150/3 in 18.1 overs

Naim's terrific knock of 62 comes to an end and it is Fernando who provides Sri Lanka with the crucial breakthrough. A tired Naim executed a half-hearted pull shot against the shorter delivery and got the thick top edge that landed safely in the hands of the bowler.

Bangladesh 129/3 in 16.1 overs

Against the right-arm leg break variety, Mushfiqur owns a strike rate of 127.8 in T20s in the last three years having been dismissed on only. Today, he has taken upon the responsibility to negate Sri Lanka's Hasaranga single-handedly, scoring 20 off nine against the spinner.

Gets to the half-century mark with a boundary. Another yorker from Kumara and Naim lofts it elegantly over the bowler's head for a boundary. The fielder at the long-on puts in a diving effort, but fails. A fifty from 44 balls. He ends the over with a fiery pull shot through mid-wicket. 11 off the over.

Bangladesh 107/2 in 14 overs.

He has shown signs of struggle in the build-up to theBangladesh World T20 campaign, but the veteran cricketer has already struck two sixes now - one against Hasaranga over deep mid-wicket and the other against a slower delivery from Fernando over deep square leg.

Bangladesh 96/2 in 13 overs

Bangladesh openers made a steady start to their innings with Naim and Das playing some smart cricket against the pacers. However, Sri Lanka fought back with quick dismissals of Shakib and Das. Can the likes of Naim and Rahim go big in the final 10 overs of the game?

Bangladesh 72/2 in 10 overs

Back of the length delivery and Shakib moves across to pull it away, but the ball doesn't come onto the bat. It goes under the swinging willow to rattle against the stumps.

Bangladesh 56/2 in 7.4 overs

Sri Lanka introduce their first spinner into the attack - Charith Asalanka, right-arm off break - and Shakib smashes two boundaries - one lofted over extra cover and the other through point. Naim too punished the bowler with a boundary punched through backward point. 14 runs off the seventh over.

Bangladesh 55/1 in 7 overs

First breakthrough for Sri Lanka! Kumara dismisses Linto Das for 16. Some words arebeing exchanged between the two players in the middle. Heat is on! Bangladesh 40/1 in 5.5 overs

At Sharjah, the key for the batting team has been to make most of the fielding restrictions to score in the powerplay. And the openers have been smart so far in the game. Against a shorter ball from Kumara, Naim cleared his front leg to dispatch it over mid-on for a boundary in the fourth over. Das, on the other hand, shuffled across to slot the slower and wider delivery from Chameera to score a boundary down to the shorter side. At the end of the first five overs, Bangladesh have managed 38 runs without a loss of wicket.