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| @Kusal Mendis plays a shot during his 73-run innings vs Bangladesh |
Sri Lanka provided a dominating performance to conquer Bangladesh by seven wickets in the first T20 International of their three match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on July 10, 2025. Sri Lanka won the toss and opt to bowl firstand they used their bowlers to keep the visitors to 154 for 5 in their 20 overs. In response, Sri Lanka rocked up with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis laying a rock solid foundation and the latter finishing the chase off with an imperious innings of 73, ensuring the win by an over to spare .
Coming in to bat, the Bangladesh innings did not really get going. They started slowly, with Mohammad Naim (32 off 29 balls) and Parvez Hossain Emon (38 off 22) putting up a short fight. But Sri Lanka bowling attack was on target and they kept the score down. The best bowler was leg-spinner Maheesh Theekshana with 2 for 37, with Dasun Shanaka adding 1 for 22. The Bangladesh middle order underperformed and did not manage to pick up the pace, losing wickets at the wrong times and ended up with 154/5 which was far short of par in a bowler-friendly track of Pallekele .
The Bowling prowess of Sri Lanka:
The seam and spin teams of Sri Lanka worked in coordination. Theekshana was very smart with his variations, keeping batsmen on their toes and fellow spinner Ramesh Mendis bowled superbly in the middle overs. Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera, fast bowlers, kept a hostile field, which strayed at times, but registered important breakthroughs. Although some limits had to be given up, Sri Lanka never lost the initiative and nipped partnerships in the bud.
A Record Powerplay:
The pursuit was begun with a bang. The openers, Nissanka and Mendis put together a scorching Powerplay as they scored 83 runs in 6 overs losing only one wicket, which is the highest Powerplay score in the history of T20Is by Sri Lanka. Nissanka especially, was showing unbelievable strike‑power by hitting 42 runs, off just 16 deliveries, with 5 fours and 3 sixes. Mendis, in the meantime, timed his innings to the T, taking his chances, and then after the Powerplay was over, exploding with a series of strokes.
Key Partnership:
It was the 78 run partnership between Nissanka and Mendis in only 4.3 overs which practically determined the outcome. The bowlers of Bangladesh were at sixes and sevens and their efforts to curb the run rate resulted in numerous loosers rather than dots. The two turned the strike carefully and penalized anything short or wide and this made the field settings of little use.
The Match‑Winning Knock of Mendis:
Mendis became the sole person to take responsibility after Nissanka fell in the powerplay. He sprinkled the gaps with slick placement and hit fly boundaries over the infield. His 73-runs have five fours and three sixes, and his innings was also beautiful and powerful. Mendis brought up his half-century in 31 balls, and upped the tempo further, as Sri Lanka made it to 159 by 3 wickets in 19 overs. He was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match .
Bangladesh's Bowling Efforts:
Bangladesh had its good moments amidst the all out defeat. The explosive opening was ended by Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissing Nissanka, and Mohammad Saifuddin taking care of the early flourish of Kusal Mendis. Their bowlers were mixed in pace very effectively, but not accurate enough on a flat track. They were not consistent and drops and misfields, which occurred in the field, did not help
Turning Points:
The most critical event of the match was during the Powerplay when Sri Lanka openers went berserk. The early use of spinners by Bangladesh did not help in checking the flow of runs and once seamers were brought back in the attack, loose deliveries added to the misery. Sri Lanka went 50 to 1 in 4 overs, and then in the next 6 overs, reached 100, and the chase was now out of reach by Bangladesh.
Implication and Context:
This victory in the first game provides Sri Lanka with a 1-0 lead in this series and further highlights their revival in the shortest format to be exhibited in the T20 World Cup next year. Their depth and overall balance in batting and bowling auger well in the other two matches. In the case of Bangladesh, the loss reveals a weakness in their middle order and bowling attack- a weakness that they should sort out soon lest they be knocked out of the series.
What’s Next:
The second T20I will take place at Dambula on July 13. Bangladesh will be trying to regroup, and most probably they will make some changes to strengthening their middle order and put a hermetic bowling unit. With this performance, Sri Lanka will look to carry forward the steam and win the series at home.
To conclude, a clinical performance featuring a Powerplay record and a dominating innings of Kusal Mendis ensured that Sri Lanka has set the stage of what would be an exciting series in the T20 Internationals. The hosts will be buoyed by the fact that they have a good start and will want to build on it, whereas Bangladesh will need to find their groove to ensure that they will not have to fight an uphill battle in the remaining matches.
Brief Scores:
Bangladesh Innings: 154/5 (20 Overs) Parvez Hossain Emon 38 off 22 Balls (5 Fours & 1 Six), Mohd. Naim 32* off 29 Balls (1 Four & 1 Six)
Sri Lanka Bowling: Maheesh Theekshana 2/37 (4 Overs), Dasun Shanaka 1/22 (4 Overs).
Sri Lanka Innings: 159/3 (19 Overs) 73 off 51 Balls (5 Fours & 3 Sixes), Pathum Nissanka 42 off 16 Balls (5 Fours & 3 Sixes).
Bangladesh Bowling: Mehidy Hasan Miraz 1/24 (4 Overs), Rishad Hossain 1/24 (4 Overs)
Player of the Match: Kushal Mendis
Result: Sri Lanka Won by 7 Wickets