In a tailspin reminiscent of a bicycle with a bent wheel, Bangladesh finally came off the wobble, and what a ride it was in Dambulla. After losing six T20Is in a row, the Tigers roared back into form with an emphatic 83-run victory over Sri Lanka to level the series 1-1. The match was full of belief, toughness, and pride, and there was long-awaited out-and-out brilliance from Litton Das and Shamim Hossain, two batters who had something to prove and a statement to make. They made their statements.
Litton Das Silences the Critics with Class
Litton Das arrived at the ground with his recent T20I form being the talk of meme-filled late-night social media. Not far removed from starts, dismissals in double quick time, and no half-centuries to show for it. However, in Dambulla, he removed the monkey from the back to post an impressive 76 off 50 balls. There were moments of indiscretion, Kusal Mendis fluffed a stumping chance at 30 and Theekshana dropped him on 56, but no matter. Good players can handle misfortune, and Litton took his chances well.
But what stood out was how he paced his innings into the game. After early wickets fell around him, Litton calmly rebuilt an innings and played as an anchor without losing steam. His fifty drought that dated back to 13 matches was extremely lengthy, but he ended that run in both style and intent, and every time he looked back toward the pavilion in the 19th over when he departed, Bangladesh was already one foot down the accelerator.
Shamim Hossain: The Game-Changer Nobody Saw Coming
While Litton provided the architect role, Shamim delivered the sledgehammer. Shamim showed up at an interesting time, but batted with a ferocious 48 (off 27 balls) with no fear in his shot-making and his ability to rotate the strike. Shamim was picking Bangladesh’s top death bowlers and smacking boundaries off Theekshana, Thushara, and Binura, and this game completely swung Bangladesh’s way.
Shamim also made a difference with the bat as his hunger in the field made an equally pivotal difference. He ran out the dangerous Kusal Mendis, who had looked to capitalize on some of the opening shows of intent and made a diving catch in the deep to dismiss Avishka Fernando. A player doesn’t usually influence all three phases of the game so appreciably, and Shamim’s energy seemed to light up the whole Bangladeshi unit. Without Shamim, this would have been another semi-acceptable total, perhaps.
Sri Lanka’s Middle Order Meltdown
Credit where credit’s due — Bangladesh bowled and fielded like a team possessed. Mustafizur and Shoriful were back in the XI, and their new-ball discipline applied early pressure. After Kusal Mendis was run out and Nissanka had fallen cheaply, the Lankans’ batting began to crumble quickly.
Sri Lanka’s top order looked like lions in Kandy but became lambs in Dambulla. The minimal resistance from Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, and Asalanka underscores their team’s heavy dependence on just a handful of openers. Shanaka and Chamika whacking some late-order runs wasn’t part of the plan, and they stumbled to 94 in just 15.2 overs.
Bangladesh didn’t just win—they made a statement. The batting brilliance of Litton shut down the critics, Shamim announced his arrival on the big stage, and the bowlers were nearly impeccable. The series now sits perfectly poised at 1-1 with everything to play for in the decider. Can Bangladesh ride this momentum and finish it off, or will Sri Lanka bounce back on home soil? One thing is certain—we’re in for a fiery finale.
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