Litton Das elated after Bangladesh pull off Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka

Tanzid, Mehedi shine as captain hails team’s ‘character and big dreams’

Last updated: July 17, 2025 | 11:44

2 MIN READ

Bangladesh's Tanzid Hasan celebrates after guiding Bangladesh to eight-wicket win in the third and final T20 in Colombo on Wednesday.

AFP

Dubai: Bangladesh saved their best for last. After a string of disappointing outings, the Tigers roared back to clinch the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka 2–1 with a dominant eight-wicket win in Colombo on Wednesday. It marked Bangladesh’s first-ever T20 series win on Sri Lankan soil.

Tanzid Hasan Tamim struck a career-best unbeaten 73 while off-spinner Mehedi Hasan claimed a sensational 4-11 — also a personal best — as Bangladesh chased down Sri Lanka’s 132 with 21 balls to spare.

Skipper Litton Das, named Player of the Series, praised the resilience of his side: “The boys showed real character, especially after how badly we played the first T20. This is a big achievement for Bangladesh. It will boost our cricket and inspire the new generation. We have big dreams, and this win helps us move forward.”

Having lost the first game by seven wickets, Bangladesh had levelled the series with a thumping 83-run win in the second match. Wednesday’s decider capped their turnaround in emphatic fashion.

Clinical chase

Despite losing Parvez Hossain Emon off the first ball of the innings, Bangladesh remained unfazed. Tamim anchored the chase, first forging a 74-run partnership with Litton (32) off just 50 balls, and then an unbroken 59-run stand with Towhid Hridoy (27 not out) to complete the job.

Tamim’s 73 not out came off just 47 balls and included six sixes and a four, surpassing his previous T20I best of 67 against Zimbabwe.

Mehedi magic derails Sri Lanka

Earlier, Sri Lanka had opted to bat but never found fluency. Despite a bright start that saw them score 14 off the first over, they lost momentum quickly — largely due to Mehedi Hasan’s devastating spell.

The off-spinner removed Kusal Perera with his first ball, then dismissed Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka — the latter caught off his own bowling — to restrict the hosts to 132/7. It was an upgrade on his previous best T20I figures of 4-13, achieved against West Indies.

Pathum Nissanka top-scored with 46, while Dasun Shanaka’s 35 not out, including 21 runs in the final over, provided a late flourish.

A.K.S. SatishSports Editor

From playing on the pitch to analysing it from the press box, Satish has spent over three decades living and breathing sport. A cricketer-turned-journalist, he has covered three Cricket World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, countless IPL seasons, F1 races, horse racing classics, and tennis in Dubai. Cricket is his home ground, but he sees himself as an all-rounder - breaking stories, building pages, going live on podcasts, and interviewing legends across every corner of the sporting world. Satish started on the back pages, and earned his way to the front, now leading the sports team at Gulf News, where he has spent 25 years navigating the fast-evolving game of journalism. Whether it’s a Super-Over thriller or a behind-the-scenes story, he aims to bring insight, energy, and a fan’s heart to every piece. Because like sport, journalism is about showing up, learning every day, and giving it everything.