Bangladesh handed a crushing defeat to Sri Lanka by 83 runs in T20I to level the series.

 

@Bangladeshi players celebrate after taking a wicket vs Sri Lanka at Dambula 2025

Bangladesh gave an emphatic show to triumph over Sri Lanka with 83 runs in the second T20I at Dambulla and the game involved to take the three-match series to 1-1. Batting performance, oppressive bowling, and deadly fielding of the Bangladesh team in the match applauded before a full crowd saw Litton Das and Shamim Hossain as the best hits. The win also ended a six match losing streak by Bangladesh and set it up to provide a spectacular series finale in Colombo.

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The Bangladesh Batting: Litton and Shamim Took the First Initiative Batting first after the toss, Bangladesh came up with a wholesome 177 runs with 7 wickets down in 20 overs. The skipper of the team Litton Das, was the star in the front line with a smooth 76 of 50 balls, which broke a 13-year-old streak of 50-runless matches. His inning was a matter of both grace and power with clean hitting, where he placed the cricketers of Sri Lanka under fire. His cover drives and lofted shots were a feature of his knocks which comprised a number of boundary shots and a few sixes. But he might have been out earlier in the 16 th over at 56 when he was dropped by Maheesh Theekshana at mid wicket. This reprieve helped Litton to score 20 additional runs and this put Bangladesh in firm control of the game. Litton was supported by Shamim Hossain who drove destructively with 48 off 27 balls. With just five dot balls during his innings, he has come up with an aggressive style of approaching the game, and given a boost to the total of Bangladesh. The finding of game gaps and clearing of the boundary played a significant role on the part of Shamim, especially during middle overs, when rates of scoring picked up. His offensive mindset on the other hand saw him being dismissed in the last over as he and Jaker Ali ran out in an attempt to hit quick runs. Nonetheless, the work done with the bat by Shamim raised the bar and gave the fielding strength of Bangladesh the much-needed impetus later in the game.

Sri Lanka was bowled by Binura Fernando who bagged 3 wickets in 31 runs and was able to take important wickets that temporarily stopped the flow of Bangladesh. Maheesh Theekshana also came to increase the scoring with a wicket when he sent off Litton in the 19th over, yet the hosts could not keep the Bangladesh batters at bay during the middle phase. The 177 was an intimidating one considering the difficulties of the Sri Lankan team in the chase.

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The Collapse in Batting of Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankans caved in under pressure as they were bowled out just 94 in 15.2 overs, falling short of the target of 178. Their opening order that had carried them to the win in the first T20I at Kandy did not reproduce the same. Pathum Nissanka was the top-scorer in this innings with 32 runs, although his knock did not have fluency because the bowlers of Bangladesh managed to keep him down. One of the linchpins of Sri Lanka batting line-up, Kusal Mendis, fell early after a stunning run out came courtesy of a sharp bit of fielding by Shamim Hossain, who also took a superb running catch to get rid of Avishka Fernando. Such pieces of genius in the pitch further knocked down the Sri Lanka chase. The bowling attack of Bangladesh was merciless. Rishad Hossain was the headmaster with an excellent 3 wickets 18 runs in which he spun a web around the Sri Lankan middle order. The changes in pace and flight too much baffled the hosts, who could scarcely read him. Shoriful Islam, who was brought into the side in this match, came out to play and did it with a bang taking 2 wickets in 12 runs, taking out important batters early. The other addition, Mustafizur Rahman, bowled a tight line so that the middle and lower order of Sri Lanka did not get an opportunity to recover. The match was virtually won when Sri Lanka lost Dasun Shanaka in the 12th over to be reduced to 73 for 7. The home crowd who were vocal at the beginning started leaving as the wickets continued to fall.

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Key Moments and Tactical Shifts:

There are some moments that characterized the control of Bangladesh. The dropped catch by Litton on 56 proved pivot since he was able to come up with a game-changing innings. The run out of Mendis, the catch to get rid of Fernando and the wickets that Shamim took in fielding shifted the tides even more. The inclusion of Mustafizur and Shoriful in the bowling attack to restructure the bowling attack by Bangladesh paid off in dividends as both were very controlled and aggressive. Sri Lanka on the other hand was not flexible. The fact that their top order never rose to the challenge of Bangladesh bowling is tight and the lack of a meaningful partnership made them play at a disadvantage all the time.

The weaknesses in the batting line-up of Sri Lanka were revealed following the failure of top-order batsmen. In contrast to the earlier T20I where Mendis and Nissanka had been belligerent and had developed an easy chase, the middle order that included Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, and Charith Asalanka was unable to offer resistance. Chamika Karunaratne and Shanaka, who are the lower order could not rescue the innings, and this is a key issue because Sri Lanka has been depending on its openers.

Performances of Players and Influence: The key to Bangladesh victory was the 76 by Litton Das which brought him the title of the Player of the Match. His skill to hold the innings and speed it up when required demonstrated his leadership and expertise. The overall performance of Shamim Hossain, 48 runs and match-winning fielding, made him the game-changer. The three wickets of Rishad Hossain emphasized the role that he is playing, slowly but surely, in T20I matches, and disciplined bowling by Shoriful and Mustafizur did not leave any chance to the Sri Lankans to make a comeback. In the case of Sri Lanka, the performance of Binura Fernando (3 wickets and 31 runs) was a positive thing, but otherwise, their batting failed them altogether.

The Context of Series and the Next Step: The win was a big turnaround to Bangladesh, who lost the opening T20I by seven wickets at Kandy on July 10, with Sri Lanka coasting to the 154 run target in just 17 overs, courtesy a scorching 78-run opening partnership between Mendis and Nissanka. The second T20I was notable as far as the comeback of Bangladesh is concerned, as the batters set a challenging target and the bowlers managed to get the job done according to their strategies. The series which is now 1-1 moves to Colombo in a decider that promises to be a scorcher. The posts on X were all about the euphoria of Bangladesh performance and fans were complimenting Littons steady knock and bowling of Rishad. One tweet read, Bangladesh roars back in style with a huge 83-run victory and this speaks volumes of a devastating performance. The other one was on the fact that the series was tied at 1-1 creating a build up to the last game. Conclusion:

When Bangladesh came out on top by 83 runs in their win, it was a message to everyone about their strength in depth and their resilience. Batting of Litton Das and Shamim Hossain was punctuated with other aspects like clinical bowling and fielding to outperform Sri Lanka in all aspects. With the teams moving on to Colombo, Bangladesh will aim to continue this good form and Sri Lanka will have to shake off and put right their flaws in batting. It is going to be a nail-biter of a match as both the teams aim to establish dominance in this hard-fought contest of a T20I series.

Brief Scores: 

Bangladesh Innings: 177/7 (20 Overs) Liton Das 76 off 50 Balls ( 1 Four & 5 Sixes), Shamim Hossain 48 off 27 Balls (5 Fours & 2 Sixes)

Sri Lanka Bowling: Binura Fernando 3/31 (4 Overs), Nuwan Thusara 1/30 (4 Overs).

Sri Lanka Innings: 94/10 Pathum Nissanka 32 off 29 Balls (2 Fours & 1 Six), Dasun Shanaka 20 off 16 Balls ( 2 Fours)

Bangladesh Bowling: Rishad Hossain 3/18 (3.2 Overs), Shoriful Islam 2/12 (3 Overs)

Player of the Match: Liton Das

Result: Bangladesh Won by 83 Runs