In the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka played against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka put up 168/7 on the board. Dasun Shanaka made a fine and quick 64 off 37 balls. But Bangladesh went after the target without breaking a sweat and they reached 169/6 in 19.5 overs. The collapse of the Lankans’ middle order and the lack of rhythm in bowling encouraged the Bangladeshi batsmen to dominate the game and thus, they handed a four-wicket loss to the Sri Lankan team. Below are the main reasons for Sri Lanka defeat:

1. Middle-Order Collapse

After a positive start by openers Pathum Nissanka (22) and Kusal Mendis (34), Sri Lanka quickly lost wickets in the middle overs. Sri Lanka reached 55/1 after the powerplay, then 98/4 with six overs remaining. The collapse ensured Sri Lanka was not able to build a stronger total despite an impressive innings by Dasun Shanaka.

2. Bangladesh's Solid Chase

The top order of Bangladesh, Saif Hassan (61/45) and Towhid Hridoy (58/37), were the main factors that made the innings a failure for the opponents, as they both scored half-centuries. The steady partnership and timely aggression helped Bangladesh to get 169/6 in 19.5 overs, which means a comfortable win.

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3. Effective bowling by Bangladesh

The Bangladeshi bowlers took advantage of the slow Dubai pitch conditions. Mustafizur Rahman was brilliant, taking 3 wickets for 20 runs in his 4 overs, especially in the death overs. Mahedi Hasan also provided support with 2 wickets for 25 runs. The key wickets and tight bowling bundled Sri Lanka's scoring.