T20I Series Opener: Kusal and Nissanka Lead Sri Lanka to Comfortable Victory When the excitement of T20 cricket is at its peak and two strong teams face each other – then it is no less than a festival for cricket lovers. In one such match, the way Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh in the first T20 match was not only impressive, but it was also an indication of how seriously and prepared the Sri Lankan team has entered this series.
Two names reverberated the most in the Sri Lankan triumph bold Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka. The two batsmen wrecked the Bangladesh bowling attack and ensured a comfortable but replete win of their team.
Toss and start
The match was begun by the toss, where Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. His choice turned out absolutely right as their bowlers had their Bangladesh counterparts tied up since the very start.
The top order of the Bangladesh team had to cope with the pressure exerted by fast bowlers Mathisha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera who bowled on the right line- length with a new ball. This led to the fact that the Bangladesh team continued losing wickets since the start.
Start of the match – Another Sri Lankan blast
One thing was clear from the beginning of the T20I match played between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – Sri Lanka has come with the intention of winning. Batting first, the Bangladesh team scored 154 runs, which can be considered an average score in this format. But the Sri Lankan openers made this target look modest in the first 5 overs.
The pair of Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka did not let the Bangladeshi bowlers do anything. 78 runs were scored in the first six overs. This aggressive start sent a wave of worry in the Bangladesh dressing room.
Kusal-Nissanka’s storm – Devastation in the first five overs
The pair of Kusal Mendis (73 runs) and Pathum Nissanka (42 runs) took the Bangladesh bowlers to task. Nissanka scored 42 runs in just 16 balls and spoiled the line-length of the bowlers with his aggressive style.
There was a moment when 30 runs were scored in six consecutive balls. Nissanka hit sixes and fours on three consecutive balls to Tanjim Hasan, while Mendis smashed Taskin Ahmed on the next three balls. This partnership laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s victory.
Bangladesh’s slow start – lost opportunity
Bangladesh scored 57 runs in the powerplay but after that their run rate slowed down considerably. From the 7th over to the 17th over, i.e. in the entire 10 overs, Bangladesh was able to score only 65 runs.
Captain Liton Das scored only 6 runs in 11 balls, while Tauheed Hridoy scored 10 runs in 13 balls. The slow batting of these two put a brake on the team’s pace. From here onwards, Bangladesh’s innings lost its way.
Mohammad Naim’s slow innings – pressure of the innings increased
Mohammad Naim, Bangladesh number 5 batsman spent a lot of time on the crease but was unable to make the run rate even one notch higher. open the innings in batting order, he made 32 out of 29 balls, the lack of aggression was evident in his innings.
This slow innings of Naim came at a time when the team was in dire need of run rate. His staying at the crease did not benefit as much as was expected.
Parvez and Shamim’s efforts – a glimpse of hope in the end
When the rest of the batsmen were struggling, Parvez Hussain, Emon and Shamim Hussain raised some hope in the end. Emon scored 38 runs in 22 balls, which included five fours and a brilliant six.
Shamim Hussain showed a stormy style by hitting 2 sixes in just 5 balls. Especially the reverse sweep six hit on Theekshana’s ball in the 19th over forced the audience to dance.
Sri Lankan bowlers’ strategy – control with slow balls
Sri Lankan bowlers bowled smartly. Captain Dasun Shanaka gave only 22 runs in four overs, most of the balls were short length due to which the batsmen could not play freely. Jeffrey Vandersay also kept the scoring under control.
Mahesh Theekshana took two wickets and did a great job of stopping runs in the middle overs. Bangladesh’s score was limited to 154/5 in 20 overs.
Kusal Mendis’ class – brilliant half-century
Mendis not only swung the bat in the match, but also showed class. He thrashed the bowlers in his innings of 73 runs. He scored runs with classical shots like cover drive, slog sweep and punch at the back.
The six hit at deep square leg on Taskin Ahmed was perhaps the most beautiful shot of the entire series. The match was completely in Sri Lanka’s bag even before he was out.
Nissanka’s storm – the key to an aggressive start
Nisanka hit three consecutive fours at the start of the innings. He turned the match in Sri Lanka’s favour in the first 5 overs by scoring 42 runs in just 16 balls. His strike rate was 263.
Due to his aggression, the confidence of Bangladesh bowlers was shaken and the fielding also became slack. This innings of Nissanka proved to be the most effective in the powerplay.
Questions on Bangladesh’s strategy – what else could they have done?
Bangladesh fans and experts are now asking questions – could the team have played more aggressively? Only 5 wickets were lost and yet the score of 154 seemed a bit low.
The slow batting of Liton Das and Naim stopped the run rate. Also, the bowlers’ plan also failed in front of Kusal-Nisanka. Catches were dropped in fielding and runs were conceded due to misfields.
Conclusion
This match was completely in Sri Lanka’s favour. Bangladesh won the match by bowling first. This was an uncontested game on Sri Lankan side. Then over tightening Bangladesh with bowling and then providing a fast start with batting – the team did it quite excellently in all the roles. This game reached the turning point when Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka opened the partnership. Bangladesh will henceforth need to make a serious effort when it comes to working on their strategy and middle-overs batters.
July 10, 2025