Sri Lanka's star batsman Kusal Mendis smashed a brilliant half-century in the first T20I match played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on July 10, leading Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Sports News: Sri Lanka has started the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh with a resounding win. In the first T20 match played on July 10 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, hosts Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets, riding on Kusal Mendis's half-century innings and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Kusal Mendis's Explosive Form Continues
Kusal Mendis once again became the hero of Sri Lanka's victory. He played a match-winning innings of 73 runs in just 51 balls, which included 8 fours and 2 sixes. This innings is a testament to his recent excellent form, as he had also scored a century in an ODI match played on the same ground a few days earlier. The opening pair deserves credit for giving Sri Lanka a fast start.
Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka's partnership added 78 runs in the first 5 overs itself, putting pressure on Bangladesh. Nissanka scored 42 runs in just 22 balls, including 6 fours and 1 six. His innings propelled Sri Lanka towards the target quickly.
Excellent Performance by Bowlers
Bangladesh, batting first, scored 154 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. Sri Lankan bowlers took wickets while keeping the run rate under control. Maheesh Theekshana took 2 wickets for 37 runs in 4 overs. Dasun Shanaka, returning after a year, took 1 wicket for just 22 runs in 4 overs. Jeffrey Vandersay and Nuwan Thushara also took one wicket each.
Bangladesh's Struggling Batting
The highest run scorer for Bangladesh was Parvez Hossain Emon. He scored 38 runs in 26 balls, which included 5 fours and 1 six. Mohammad Naim played an unbeaten innings of 32 runs but failed to give the team a big score. The middle order also could not contribute much, limiting the team to a total of 154 runs.
The biggest turning point in Sri Lanka's victory was the opening partnership. When the team had almost crossed half the target in the first five overs itself, Bangladesh could not make a comeback.
Brief Match Summary
- Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
- Bangladesh's Score: 154/5 (20 overs)
- Sri Lanka's Score: 159/3 (19 overs)
- Result: Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
