SL vs BAN | Mahedi and Tanzid’s career-best shows headline Bangladesh’s win in final T20I

‌Brief score: SL 132/7 (20) [Pathum Nissanka 46(39), Dasun Shanaka 35*(25); Mahedi Hasan 4/11(4)] lost to BAN 133/2 (16.3) [Tanzid Hasan 73*(47), Litton Das 32(26); Kamindu Mendis 1/21(3)] by eight wickets.

Mahedi Hasan and Tanzid Hasan came up with career-best performances in T20Is as Bangladesh thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the final T20I in Colombo. Off-spinner Mahedi bowled an impressive spell of 4/11, including a maiden, in four overs to restrict the home side to 132/7 while opener Tanzid Hasan remained unbeaten with a quickfire half-century as Bangladesh sealed the three-match series 2-1.

Opting to bat first at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, Sri Lanka lost in-form opener Kusal Mendis in the last ball of the first over, bowled by left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam. Mahedi, who replaced Mehidy Hasan Miraz, dismissed Kusal Perera with his fifth ball in the game before packing off Dinesh Chandimal in his next as Sri Lanka struggled to 40/3 at the end of the powerplay. Though fellow opener Pathum Nissanka was going good at one end, he kept losing partners at the other as skipper Charith Asalanka also departed in the eighth over. Nissanka top-scored for the Lankans with a 39-ball 46 before being Mahedi’s fourth scalp of the night. Former captain Dasun Shanaka provided the much-needed acceleration, alongside Kamindu Mendis (21), to help the home side post a respectable total on the board. Shanaka scored two sixes and four boundaries to remain unbeaten on 35 off 25 balls, while Mustafizur Rahman and Shamim Hossain picked up a wicket each to complement Mahedi’s superlative effort.

Chasing 133, the Tigers lost Parvez Hossain Emon, who was trapped in front of the wicket by Nuwan Thushara in the very first ball of the innings. But Tanzid Hasan and captain Litton Das did well not to lose the plot from there, mixing caution with aggression to reach 47/1 after six overs. However, the left-handed opener cut loose immediately after the powerplay as he welcomed captain Charith Asalanka into the attack with two sixes. The hosts smelled a chance when Kamindu Mendis broke the 74-run partnership, dismissing Litton Das (32) in the ninth over. But Tanzid showed no signs of slowing down, hitting a six and four off Jeffrey Vandersay in the next over to bring up his fifty off just 27 balls. The southpaw smashed six sixes and a four en route to a 47-ball 73, his highest score in T20Is. His unbeaten partnership of 59 runs with Towhid Hridoy (27) ensured that the Tigers reached the target with 21 balls to spare.