T20 World Cup 2021
T20 World Cup: West Indies concede 2nd consecutive defeat in Super 12s
Reigning champions West Indies conceded their second consecutive defeat in the competition after South Africa thrashed them by eight wickets in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday.
For South Africa it was their first win in the competition after they lost their opening game against Australia.
The West Indies, sent in by South Africa to bat first, posted only 143 for eight wickets in 20 overs.
Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh, England face off on October 27
Evin Lewis posted 56 off 35 balls with three fours and six sixes while his opening partner Lendl Simmons played 35 balls to score 16 runs. His slow batting caused unease for the fans.
For South Africa, Dwaine Pretorius bagged three wickets while Keshav Maharaj took two.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
In reply, South Africa chased the target of 144 in 18.2 overs with eight wickets in hand. Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen remained unbeaten scoring 51 and 43 respectively.
In the first match, West Indies lost to England by six wickets, and South Africa suffered a defeat to Australia by five wickets.
T20 World Cup: Cornered Tigers eye to bounce back vs England
Determined to bounce back Bangladesh are all set to take on England in their second Super 12s match of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Wednesday at Abu Dhabi.
The match is scheduled to start at 4 pm Bangladesh time.
The Tigers have lost their first Super 12s match against Sri Lanka despite posting a big total of 171. Two missed catches cost a lot for Mahmudullah Riyad and his team. Now, the Tigers are eying to play their best cricket in their first-ever T20 International against strong England.
“We know that England are a very powerful batting line-up. We have to be on our A-game if we want to challenge them and ultimately win the game,” Ottis Gibson, the bowling coach of Bangladesh, told the reporters on Tuesday.
While Bangladesh lost their first match against Sri Lanka, England beat the West Indies in a low-scoring affair, and made a flying start to the World Cup.
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021: How Bangladesh can qualify for the semis
“The key is to be accurate with what we deliver and back ourselves. We know they will come out hard, but they also give you chances. They lost four wickets chasing 55 against West Indies. It is something that we can use as a positive. We must be at our best, but we know that they will give us opportunities to take wickets,” Gibson added.
Mohammad Naim, who is playing his maiden World Cup, hit a fifty against Sri Lanka, and Mushfiqur Rahim also scored a fifty in the same match. Riding on their batting efforts, Bangladesh posted 171 for seven, but it was chased by Sri Lanka after Liton Das missed two easy catches. Before another World Cup fixture, Bangladesh are worried about their outfield works.
“One or two catches get dropped in every cricket match. Obviously, when the catches play a part in the result, it is highlighted more, but we do a lot of catching practice. When the guys are out in the middle under pressure, mistakes like catches going down happen,” Gibson further added.
Apart from missing catches, Liton Das has been going through a bad patch for a while now. But the team management seems to be confident of Liton doing well in the coming matches. The right-handed batter has been considered one of the best that Bangladesh has ever produced, but he is yet to prove his mettle.
In the match against Sri Lanka, premium Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman conceded 22 runs but failed to take any wicket. His off-form came as a matter of concern for the Bangladesh team management. But Gibson believed the pacer has the ability to adapt to the condition and do well.
Bangladesh have previously played 21 ODIs against England and won four of them, and they also played 10 Tests and won one of them.
While England won a T20 World Cup before, Bangladesh never won a match in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cups. This piece of history proves that the difference between these two teams stands high.
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh, England face off on Oct 27
Bangladesh beat Oman and Papua New Guinea to advance to the Super 12s, but they had to endure a defeat to Scotland. The Tigers need to win at least three matches at the Super 12s in order to advance to the semi-finals of the World Cups for the first time in their history.
Bangladesh’s probable XI vs England:
Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh, England face off on October 27
Bangladesh's Super 12 round began with a disheartening loss to Sri Lanka on Sunday (October 24). Therefore, the team Tigers are under tremendous pressure to regain their winning momentum in order to qualify for the semifinals. Bangladesh's next encounter is on Wednesday (October 27) against England. The match will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and will begin at 4 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). This article focuses on the match preview between Bangladesh and England in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup tournament.
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
Notable T20I Record of Bangladesh and England
Here are some noteworthy Twenty20 International records of Bangladesh and England.
Bangladesh
England
Matches Played
M: 116; Win: 43; Lose: 71
M: 138; Win: 74; Lose: 59
Most Runs
Shakib Al Hasan (1,881)
Eoin Morgan (2,367)
Highest Score
Tamim Iqbal (103*)
Alex Hales (116*)
Most Fifties
Shakib Al Hasan (9)
Jos Buttler (14)
Most Wickets
Shakib Al Hasan (117)
Chris Jordan (74)
Best Bowling Figures
Elias Sunny (5/13)
Adil Rashid (4/2)
Most Matches
Mahmudullah Riyad (106)
Eoin Morgan (108)
Highest Partnership
Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad (132*)
Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan (182)
Most Catches
Mahmudullah Riyad (41)
Eoin Morgan (44)
Most Dismissals
Mushfiqur Rahim (61)
Jos Buttler (43)
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Bangladesh Team
Mushfiqur Rahim finally found his stride against Sri Lanka, which is a huge relief. Mushfiqur failed to contribute with the bat in the qualifying phase. Bangladesh struggled to keep the scoreboard moving in the middle overs as a result of this.
Read Afghanistan beat Scotland by 130 runs in T20 World Cup
Opener Liton Das and all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin were two major disappointments in the previous encounter. Liton scrambled with the bat once again and dropped two crucial catches. On the contrary, Mohammad Saifuddin gave up nearly 13 runs per over. As a top bowler, Saifuddin could have done a lot better with the ball.
Team management has a difficult job on their hands in terms of picking an ideal playing XI for the encounter against England. Not to mention, the experienced players and left-arm bowler Mustafizur Rahman would have to shoulder the major responsibilities if Bangladesh aims to win the match.
Read Mujeeb rattles Scotland with three-wicket over
Three players to keep an eye on
Mushfiqur Rahim: T20I: 95 | Runs: 1,427 | HS: 72* | 50s: 6 | SR: 116.20
Shakib Al Hasan: T20I: 92 | Runs: 1,881 | HS: 84 | SR: 121.12 | Wkts: 117 | BBI: 5/20 | SR: 17.40
Mustafizur Rahman: T20I: 56 | Wkts: 82 | BBI: 5/22 | Econ: 7.54 | SR: 14.90
Predicted Playing XI:
Mohammad Naim, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah (captain), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Nasum Ahmed.
Read Afghanistan wins toss, elects to bat against Scotland
England Team
England thrashed West Indies in their World Cup opener. Therefore, the team spirit of the English campaign is extremely high. Each player is aware of his role in the squad besides realizing what the captain and coach expect of them. There are no injuries on the team, and all of the players are available for selection. England are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI for the encounter against Bangladesh.
Three players to keep an eye on
Jos Buttler: T20I: 83 | Runs: 1,895 | HS: 83* | 50s: 14 | SR: 139.33
Moeen Ali: T20I: 39 | Runs: 440 | HS: 72* | SR: 135.38 | Wkts: 23 | BBI: 2/17 | SR: 22.2
Adil Rashid: T20I: 63 | Wkts: 69 | BBI: 4/2 | Econ: 7.41 | SR: 18.50
Read Youth ODI Series: Hosts Sri Lanka whitewash Bangladesh 5-0
Predicted Playing XI:
Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (Wicket-Keeper), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Eoin Morgan (c), Dawid Malan, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills
Verdict
Bangladesh are now in the second position in Group B, while England are in first place with two points. England are one of the favorites to win the seventh edition of the Twenty20 World Cup. The English team exhibited their ability during the encounter against the West Indies. They have a well-balanced squad with a notable number of game-winners. Bangladesh will face a difficult task in defeating England, but they must find a way to do it in order to earn a place in the semifinals.
Another important factor is that Bangladesh have never faced England in a T20 match. So, it will be exciting to see who wins the first match between these two teams.
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan on his way to reach another milestone
T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
Afghanistan comprehensively outplayed Scotland in every department during their first Super 12 encounter of the ongoing World Cup tournament on Monday (October 25). Afghanistan triumphed by 130 runs and climbed to the top of Group 2 for the first time. As expected, Afghan spinners performed really well in this match. Particularly, off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman was very impressive with the ball. He claimed the first five wickets in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Take a look at the list of all-time five-wicket hauls in the tournament’s history.
T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan vs. Scotland Match Report
Opting to bat first, all the Afghanistan batters played their part with the bat, putting up a mammoth 190/4 in the 20 overs to defend.
Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad provided Afghanistan the perfect start with a 54-run opening partnership in power plays. Shahzad returned to the pavilion after a 22-run knock. However, Zazai (44) stayed at the crease till the tenth over, bringing the total to 82.
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
The best partnership of the Afghanistan innings came in the third wicket. Two veteran middle order batsmen Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46) and Najibullah Zadran (47) put up an 87-run stand and took the total close to 200. Najibullah elated the Sharjah crowds by playing some big strokes in the middle. He made 59 off 34 balls, including three massive sixes.
Scotland's most successful bowler was Safyaan Sharif. He took two wickets for 33 runs in four overs.
Scotland got off to a good start in the run chase. George Munsey and Kyle Coetzer put on a 28-run partnership within the first four overs. Off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman interrupted their momentum in the fourth over, taking three wickets (Coetzer, Macleod, and Berrington). Scotland suddenly found themselves at 28/3.
Read Afghanistan beat Scotland by 130 runs in T20 World Cup
At the other end, leg-spinner Rashid Khan began to pick up wickets, and Scotland continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Afghanistan just needed 10.2 overs to dismiss Scotland for 60 runs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman ended his spell with 5/20, while Rashid Khan took 4 wickets for only 9 runs in his spell. Munsey scored highest 25 runs for Scotland.
Afghanistan made a spectacular start to their ICC T20 World Cup 2021 campaign. If the Afghan team wins at least two more games in group B, they have a fair chance to advance to the semifinals.
List of Five-Wicket Hauls in T20 World Cup
Mujeeb Ur Rahman became the seventh bowler in T20 World Cup history to grab five wickets in an innings. Only seven bowlers bagged five wickets in the T20 format World Cup before him.
Have a look at the players who have taken five-wicket in an innings.
Player
Bowling Figure
Opposition
Ground
Date
Ajantha Mendis (SL)
4-2-8-6
Zimbabwe
Hambantota
18/09/2012
Rangana Herath (SL)
3.3-2-3-5
New Zealand
Chattogram
31/03/2014
Umar Gul (PAK)
3-0-6-5
New Zealand
The Oval
13-06-2009
Ahsan Malik (NED)
4-0-19-5
South Africa
Chattogram
27-03-2014
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (AFG)
4-0-20-5
Scotland
Sharjah
25-10-2021
Mustafizur Rahman (BAN)
4-0-22-5
New Zealand
Kolkata
26-03-2016
James Faulkner (NZ)
4-0-27-5
Australia
Mohali
25-03-2016
Lasith Malinga (SL)
4-0-31-5
England
Pallekele
01-10-2012
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Way Forward
Afghanistan won the match against Scotland thanks to a collective effort. Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman were the Afghani team's top performers. Rashid and Mujeeb rattled the Scottish batting order following a sensible batting effort by Afghanistan batters.
Read Mujeeb rattles Scotland with three-wicket over
Mujeeb Ur Rahman's first T20 five-wicket haul on the international stage came in this match. In total, he has taken 30 wickets in 20 Twenty20 Internationals. His precision and wicket-taking abilities will be crucial to Afghanistan in this competition. Undoubtedly, Mujeeb is one of the main bowlers to keep an eye on in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan on his way to reach another milestone
The Bangladesh cricket team lost a vital Super 12 match against Sri Lanka On Sunday (October 24). The star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was brilliant with the ball once again. He became the highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history after taking two wickets in three overs against the Lankan side. Earlier in the tournament, the ace all-rounder set a new record for most T20I wickets. Shakib has been in fantastic form with the ball and has a chance to attain yet another milestone before Bangladesh's ICC T20 World Cup 2021 fixtures are completed.
Shakib's potential feat in the remaining ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Shakib Al Hasan has set several records in his nearly two-decade cricket career. His unwavering commitment and desire to be the best have gained him widespread acclaim. Shakib's on-field performance has also aided Bangladesh in progressing to the next level.
Shakib Al Hasan smashed two international records by taking 11 wickets in just four matches in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup 2021. He also became the first player to achieve 12,000 international runs and take 600 or more international wickets.
Read T20 World Cup: Lahiru, Liton fined for breaching ICC code of conduct
Bangladesh have four matches left in the present T20 World Cup. Shakib may achieve yet another new milestone in the forthcoming BAN vs. ENG encounter. If not, he will very certainly do that in the World Cup's remaining matches.
The world's best all-rounder is two wickets away from being the fourth player in history and the first Bangladeshi to take 400 wickets in Twenty20 format.
Shakib Al Hasan has 398 Twenty20 wickets at an incredible average of 21.07 from 349 appearances. West Indian all-rounder DJ Bravo has the most T20 wickets. He has collected 551 wickets in 508 games.
Read T20 World Cup : Three Things Bangladesh Must Address Before England Match
Top Five Wicket-Takers in the T20 Format
Two West Indian players have claimed 400+ wickets in the T20 format. Only DJ Bravo has taken more than 500 wickets among them. Imran Tahir of South Africa, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan are the other three wicket-takers in the top five.
Highest wicket-takers in Twenty20
Player
Matches
Wkts
BBI
Ave
Econ
5W
DJ Bravo (WI)
508
551
5/23
24.25
8.20
2
Sunil Narine (WI)
383
425
5/19
20.72
6.04
1
Imran Tahir (SA)
334
420
5/23
19.79
6.96
3
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)
349
398
6/6
21.07
6.82
4
Rashid Khan (AFG)
284
392
5/3
17.62
6.35
3
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read: T20 World Cup: Pakistan off to a solid start chasing India’s 151
Bottom Line
Shakib Al Hasan will have to show his full potential in the upcoming matches if Bangladesh are to advance to the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh's next encounter will be against one of the early favorites England. If Shakib fires up, the Tigers have a good chance to stun the English team. Furthermore, the left-arm spinner will be able to reach another personal milestone in this match.
Shakib Al Hasan is the poster boy of Bangladesh cricket. If Shakib can keep consistent in this manner over the next 3 to 4 years, he would be able to reach unprecedented heights. Therefore, breaking his records will be tough for other cricketers.
Read Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
T20 World Cup: Lahiru, Liton fined for breaching ICC code of conduct
Bangladesh batter Liton Das and Sri Lankan pacer Lahiru Kumara were fined 15 per cent and 25 per cent of their match fees respectively for breaching players’ code of conduct, ICC has confirmed.
Both have been found guilty of breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.
Lahiru was found guilty of breaching Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “Using language, actions or gestures which disparage, or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”
Read:Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
And, Liton was found guilty of breaching Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game’.
The incident occurred in the fifth over after the dismissal of Liton in the Bangladesh innings.
After Liton’s dismissal, Lahiru walked towards him using actions and words which provoked an aggressive reaction from the batter.
Having been provoked by the bowler Lahiru, batter Liton reacted aggressively and in a manner that was contrary to the spirit of cricket.
Lahiru was fined 25 per cent of his match fee and received 1 demerit point, while Liton was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and received 1 demerit point.
Read:T20 World Cup : Three Things Bangladesh Must Address Before England Match
Javagal Srinath of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions, which were ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the COVID-19 interim playing regulations. Kumara and Das both pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Adrian Holdstock, 3rd umpire Michael Gough and 4th umpire Rod Tucker.
Bangladesh lost the match by five wickets despite posting a big total of 171 runs. It was the first Super 12s match for both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
T20 World Cup : Three Things Bangladesh Must Address Before England Match
There was a lot of expectation before Bangladesh's super 12 round match against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh were a better team than Sri Lanka on paper. However, Sri Lanka executed their tactics well and triumphed with 7 balls to spare when pursuing a 172-run target. Bangladesh should also bear some of the responsibility. They were below par in fielding and bowling. Team Tigers must come up with a more effective plan when playing England in their upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 match.
Things to consider before Bangladesh's 2nd Super 12 Fixture of T20 World Cup
A lot of things went wrong in the encounter against Sri Lanka. The captaincy of Mahmudullah Riyad is the most noteworthy. Bangladesh also missed a number of vital catches, and some of their bowlers were ineffective. These issues should be addressed prior to the important England clash.
Read: T20 WC: Poor fielding, bowling cost Tigers in first Super 12 match
Two changes are required in the playing XI
At least two changes in the Bangladesh team are needed for the next match. Mohammad Naim's opening partner Liton Das should be dropped for the tie against England due to a string of setbacks. He got off to a good start against Sri Lanka but was eventually dismissed for 16 runs. On the other hand, Mohammad Naim made it to the end of the innings and played a 62-run knock. Soumya Sarkar or Mahadi Hasan can take Liton's spot.
In addition, medium-pacer Mohammad Saifuddin had a dismal bowling performance. Saifuddin stepped in to bowl the 18th over and conceded 22 runs when the match's fate was on the line. After that, the Lankans had entire control of the match. There was no variation in Saifuddin's bowling. Rather, he aided the opposition batters to score with consistent full-length and full-toss deliveries. Left-arm pacer Shariful Islam should be included in the playing XI instead.
Read Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Captaincy should be diverse
Mahmudullah's captaincy has received a lot of criticism. Many experts think that Mahmudullah isn't doing enough as a skipper. He is also not making good judgments when it comes to bowling changes. Riyad is unable to pick the appropriate bowler in time. Therefore, Bangladesh lost matches against Scotland and Sri Lanka due to his inefficient leadership.
For example, Mahmudullah handed over the bowl to Afif Hossain to bowl the 13th over despite Shakib having two overs left in the play against the Lankans. The Sri Lankan batters took control of the situation and scored 15 runs in that over. Mahmudullah bowled the following over and gave away 16 runs. Sri Lanka put themselves in a great position by scoring 31 runs in two successive overs. If Nasum Ahmed had been attacked, there would have been a chance to take a wicket.
Read T20 World Cup: Pakistan off to a solid start chasing India’s 151
Experts believe Mahmudullah made multiple mistakes against Sri Lanka. Riyad is expected to be a more mature captain for Bangladesh.
Fielding needs to be improved
Bangladesh's fielding was poor in the match against Sri Lanka. Particularly, Liton Das helped Sri Lanka's win by dropping two simple catches. He failed to take Rajapaksa's catch in the 13th over in the square leg region. Two over later, Liton dropped Asalanka in the sweeper cover area bowled by Mustafizur Rahman.
So, dropping those two catches was one of the reasons for Bangladesh's loss against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh's fielders must be more aggressive in order to win the match against a strong England team, and no catch must be dropped.
Read: Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Bottom Line
Bangladesh's team management should be aware of their preferred playing XI. Understanding the pitch's nature and the venue's recent records is crucial for this. Some pitches are better for seamers, while others are better for spinners. Batters must step up if they are playing on a batting-friendly surface in order to score more freely and relieve pressure on the bowlers.
Captain Mahmudullah Riyad and head coach Russell Domingo have a big task ahead of them in order to get the team back on track. Bangladesh will play England at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (October 27), which could help the batsmen. This match will be crucial in order to qualify for the semi-finals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Therefore, the team Tigers will have to put up a special performance against the English team to win the contest.
Read Pakistan wins toss and bowls against archrival India
Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Finally, Pakistan have won a match against India in a World Cup!
India and Pakistan, the arch-rivals, took the field on Sunday aiming to crush each other in the cricket field once again. Every time Pakistan aimed the same before in a World Cup, they had to endure a defeat. But this time, they finally bounced back to turn history their way— beating India by a big margin of 10 wickets on Sunday at Dubai.
It was the first match in the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup for both teams.
T20 World Cup: Pakistan off to a solid start chasing India’s 151
Pakistan are off to a solid start while chasing a challenging target of 152 against India in their first match of the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Dubai.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first in this match. India posted 151 for seven in 20 overs, with the captain Virat Kohli hitting the highest 57 off 49 balls with five fours and one six.
Read: Shakib emerges highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup
Pakistan got a great start when Shaheen Afridi removed Rohit Sharma for a duck. The pacer ended up taking three wickets conceding 31 in four overs. The other pacer, Hasan Ali, conceded 44 runs to take two wickets.
In reply, Pakistan scored 71 for none at the end of the 10th overs, with captain Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan were batting at 36 and 35 respectively.
Read: T20 WC: Naim hits his second World Cup fifty
T20 WC: Poor fielding, bowling cost Tigers in first Super 12 match
Bangladesh were outplayed by Sri Lanka in their first match of the Super 12s of the ongoing T20 World Cup at Sharjah on Sunday.
Sri Lanka needed to score 172 to seal this match and register a flying start to the Super 12s, and they did it in style as Bangladesh missed two crucial catches of Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Charith Asalanka when they were batting at 17 and 63 respectively.
“Had we not missed those catches, the story would have been better,” Mahmudullah said after the match, “Batters did a great job. Liton and Naim gave us a very good start. Mushfiqur played a brilliant innings. We lost a few chances. Would like to correct those things in the next game.”
After getting lives from Liton Das’ sloppy hands, Rajapaksa scored 36 and Asalanka added 17 more runs, and eventually sealed the match for Sri Lanka.
It was only the third time when Bangladesh lost a T20I match after scoring 171 or more while batting first. On two of those three occasions, Bangladesh lost to Sri Lanka.
Read: T20 WC: Naim hits his second World Cup fifty
Apart from missing catches, Mohammad Saifuddin’s third over was also one of the main reasons behind Bangladesh’s defeat. The right-arm pacer gave away 22 runs with two sixes and two fours in the 16th over.