Sri Lanka open with statement win after rare double-maiden start

Two maiden overs to begin a T20 innings almost never happens. Sri Lanka managed it in Abu Dhabi, squeezing Bangladesh from ball one and setting up a commanding six-wicket win in their Group B opener at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Chasing 140, the islanders cruised home with 32 balls left, banking a healthy net run rate that could matter late in the group stage.

Charith Asalanka backed his bowling after winning the toss, and the decision paid off immediately. Dushmantha Chameera hit a hard length with pace and carry, Nuwan Thushara angled the ball awkwardly at the stumps, and Bangladesh were 0/2 inside three overs—both openers gone, confidence rattled, and the scoreboard stuck. It was only the second time a T20I side had begun with two maidens, a telling snapshot of how sharp Sri Lanka’s new-ball plans were.

Fielding kept the squeeze tight. Kamil Mishara, who would later anchor the chase, nailed a direct hit from deep square leg to run out Towhid Hridoy. That moment cut off a rebuilding attempt and underlined the intent Sri Lanka brought to every half-chance. With the ring set straighter than usual and the boundary riders patrolling angles, Bangladesh found singles hard and boundaries rarer.

Wanindu Hasaranga slotted in behind the quicks to keep control through the middle. He varied pace, pulled his length ever so slightly shorter to deny the sweep, and forced risk without gifting room. Bangladesh slipped to 53/5, staring at a sub-par total on a surface that offered grip early but looked friendlier for strokeplay under lights.

Credit to Bangladesh’s lower-middle order, though. Shamim Hossain (42*) and Jaker Ali (41*) built a record sixth-wicket stand worth 86, the highest for Bangladesh in T20Is. They were smart rather than flashy: busy running, nudging into gaps, and cashing in on anything overpitched. The late push lifted the total to 139/5—something to bowl at, but not much more, given the conditions and how Sri Lanka’s top order has been trending.

The pitch behaved as a typical Abu Dhabi evening strip: a touch of tack to start, then skidding truer as dew crept in. The outfield was quick. Anything square beat the ring. With a single short boundary in play, Sri Lanka’s batters always knew 7-per-over would be enough if they kept wickets in hand.

Nissanka-Mishara partnership douses the chase, reshapes Group B

Kusal Mendis fell early in the second over, which could have opened a door for Bangladesh. Pathum Nissanka slammed it shut. He played a calm, organized hand—steady wrists through cover, soft hands into third, and the odd pickup over midwicket—to reach his 16th T20I half-century. The message was clear: no panic, no slogging, just clean percentages.

At the other end, Mishara took an over to size up the bounce, then went after Shoriful Islam, cracking three fours in a row to flip the momentum. That passage freed up Nissanka to rotate without chasing the big shot, and the pair stitched a 95-run stand off just 52 balls. Bangladesh’s lengths drifted—too full when they tried to swing it, too short when they hunted the bumper—and Sri Lanka rarely let a mistake go unpunished.

What set the chase apart was discipline. Sri Lanka didn’t force the pace in the powerplay; they nudged it along around a run-a-ball and backed themselves to climb later. When the field spread, they targeted deep midwicket and extra cover, two areas that demanded near-perfect execution to defend. Cut shots against the angle and well-timed clips through square reduced the equation in chunks.

Mishara finished unbeaten on 46, Nissanka made 50, and the winning hit came with more than five overs to spare. There wasn’t a mad dash because there didn’t need to be one. Bangladesh tried slower balls and wide yorkers in the back end, but the chase was already too far gone; Sri Lanka’s risk management left no room for a late twist.

Beyond the scoreline, the game showed Sri Lanka’s clarity. Asalanka rotated his quicks in short, sharp bursts up front, then locked Hasaranga in when Bangladesh were trying to reset. In the field, they protected the straight boundary early and dared Bangladesh to hit against the turn. With the bat, roles were crystal: Nissanka as anchor-scorer, Mishara as tempo-setter once he’d seen a dozen balls.

For Bangladesh, the positives were there—Shamim’s composure, Jaker’s calculation, and another solid shift from Shoriful in the first spell. But the top order’s frailty in the powerplay hurts in this format, and a total under 150 rarely holds up at this venue. They’ll need cleaner starts and quicker reads on lengths when the ball nips early.

There was also a hint of a pattern in how Sri Lanka used their pace. Thushara’s slingy release made it difficult to line him up, especially from around the wicket to right-handers, while Chameera’s chest-high hard length forced technical mistakes. Bangladesh didn’t adjust the bat face quickly enough, and edges that might have flown in Dhaka died to the ring in Abu Dhabi.

The tournament picture shifts a little with wins like this. The margin—six wickets, 32 balls left—plumps up Sri Lanka’s net run rate and puts pressure on the group. Bangladesh, who beat Hong Kong earlier, are still in it, but they now have to think not just about results, but about margins. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have room to manage resources and still chase a top seeding from Group B.

Key numbers that framed the night:

• 2 maiden overs to start Bangladesh’s innings—Sri Lanka are only the second team in T20I history to do it.
• 0/2 inside three overs—Bangladesh’s powerplay derailed before it got going.
• 86-run sixth-wicket stand—Shamim Hossain and Jaker Ali’s record partnership for Bangladesh in T20Is.
• 95 off 52—Nissanka and Mishara’s second-wicket surge that broke the back of the chase.
• 50—Pathum Nissanka’s composed half-century, his 16th in T20Is.
• 32 balls remaining—Sri Lanka’s buffer, and a major boost to net run rate.

Selection calls also caught the eye. Mishara’s inclusion added a left-right balance and a sharper fielding arm in the deep. The move to open with him as an early-innings stabilizer rather than a pure finisher suggests Sri Lanka want flexibility at No. 3, especially on surfaces where the new ball grips. On the bowling side, pairing Chameera’s height with Thushara’s skiddy angles created contrasting reads for batters in consecutive overs.

Bangladesh’s think tank will look at their options at the top. A more conservative first two overs might have helped weather the initial swing, but they also missed a chance to disrupt the lengths—no early shuffles across the crease, few attempts to drag the line from fifth stump back to middle. When they did find stability, they were excellent, yet it took until the sixth wicket to get there.

Conditions should remain similar through the group stage: modest grip early, firmer under lights, with a light dew that makes defending under 150 risky. Captains who win the toss will keep leaning toward the chase. Batters that value strike rotation more than boundary hunting in the first half will likely cash in later—exactly the template Sri Lanka executed here in the Asia Cup 2025.

The calendar gives both sides little time to stew. Sri Lanka can bank the rhythm from their new-ball burst and the certainty from a clean chase. Bangladesh have enough positives to reset—particularly that Shamim-Jaker partnership—but they need their first four to give the middle order a platform. Another powerplay like this one, and they’ll be playing catch-up again.

On a night that began with a rarity, Sri Lanka showed the value of doing the basics at high speed: hit a length, hold your catches, run hard, and keep plans short and clear. Abu Dhabi rewarded that simplicity. The points—and the net run rate—followed.