Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by three in a nail-biting finish in the first Twenty20 international at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on Monday, report agencies.
Debutant Jaker Ali Anik, a young guy who demonstrated a strong performance in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), scored 68 runs of just 34-ball. Mahmudullah Riyad who is playing his first T20 since September 2022 also scored 54 runs (31).
Bangladesh got all out on 203 and lost the match.
Earlier, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis each slammed a fifty to power Sri Lanka to 206-3 against Bangladesh.
Samarawickrama struck an unbeaten 61 off 48 balls after Mendis hit 59 off 36 balls as the visitors overcame a slow start to put an imposing total after Bangladesh sent them in.
Stand-in skipper Charith Asalanka played his part with an unbeaten 44 from 21 balls.
Mendis and Samarawickrama shared 96 runs for the third wicket after Sri Lanka lost their first two wickets for 37 runs.
Shoriful Islam removed Avishka Fernando for four in the second ball of the innings before Taskin Ahmed had Kamindu Mendis caught by Soumya Sarkar at midwicket for 19.
Mendis hit leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for a four and two sixes off consecutive balls to race to his fifty off 27 balls.
Rishad returned for his next spell to exact the revenge as Mahmudullah Riyad took a well-judged catch at long off boundary to end the innings of Mendis.
Asalanka joined Samarawickrama to continue the assault, adding 73 for the unbroken fourth wicket, including 24 runs from the last over of the innings bowled by Mustafizur Rahman.
The series marks the start of Sri Lanka's month-long tour of Bangladesh, which also includes three one-day internationals and two Tests.
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