Sri Lanka began their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a dominant six-wicket victory over Bangladesh at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The win, achieved with 32 balls to spare, provides a significant boost to Sri Lanka's net run rate and places them in a strong position in Group B.

Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to field first. Sri Lanka's bowlers immediately put Bangladesh under pressure. Nuwan Thushara struck in the very first over, removing Tanzid Hasan Tamim for a duck, and Dushmantha Chameera had Parvez Emon caught behind in the second over. Bangladesh found themselves reeling at 0/2 after the first two overs. Kamil Mishara contributed to the strong fielding effort with a sharp throw from deep square leg to run out Towhid Hridoy. Wanindu Hasaranga further compounded Bangladesh's woes by dismissing Mahedi Hasan and Litton Das, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 53/5.

However, a resilient, unbroken 86-run partnership between Shamim Hossain (42 not out) and Jaker Ali (41 not out) rescued the Bangladesh innings. They capitalized on loose deliveries and rotated the strike effectively, guiding Bangladesh to a total of 139/5. Despite the efforts of Ali and Hossain, Bangladesh's score was considered below par on a good batting surface.

Chasing 140 for victory, Sri Lanka lost Kusal Mendis early. However, Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara then combined for a 95-run partnership for the second wicket, effectively taking the game away from Bangladesh. Nissanka reached his half-century, scoring 50 off 34 balls, including six boundaries and a six. In the process, Nissanka became the fastest Sri Lankan to score 2000 T20I runs. Mishara, who was dropped early in his innings, finished with an unbeaten 46 off 32 deliveries. A couple of late wickets fell, including Kusal Perera, but Sri Lanka reached the target with ease in 14.4 overs. Charith Asalanka sealed the victory with a six over deep mid-wicket.

Kamil Mishara was named Player of the Match for his match-winning innings. He revealed that Pathum Nissanka had advised him to play his natural game and take the innings deep. Mishara expressed his happiness at winning the game for his team and stated that he always believed in himself and worked hard for the opportunity.

Sri Lanka's performance was clinical and dominant, outnumbering Bangladesh in all departments. Their bowlers set the tone early, and the batsmen made easy work of the chase. The win provides a significant boost to Sri Lanka's net run rate and strengthens their position in the tournament. Litton Das, the captain of Bangladesh, admitted that his team lost the game in the powerplay with the bat and that a score of 170-180 might have led to a different result. He also acknowledged that Bangladesh's bowling and fielding were subpar.

With the victory, Sri Lanka have a quick turnaround as they face Hong Kong, China, in Dubai on September 15th. Bangladesh, on the other hand, face a must-win situation against Afghanistan on September 16th.