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Third T20I: Bangladesh need 175 to win series
To win their maiden T20I series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh need to chase a target of 175 in the third match of the three-match series against Sri Lanka on Saturday in Sylhet.
Sri Lanka batted first and posted 174 for seven wickets, thanks to 86 from Kusal Mendis.
Third T20I: Bangladesh opt to bowl first again in series decider
The Bangladeshi bowlers started strong, with left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam maintaining tight lines from the outset. However, it was Taskin Ahmed who struck first, claiming the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva to provide Bangladesh with an early breakthrough.
Despite a resilient effort from the Sri Lankan batters, Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain, the lone legspinner in the squad, managed to dismiss Kamindu Mendis for 12 runs, adding pressure on the visitors.
Third T20I: Bangladesh eye series win against Sri Lanka
Kusal emerged as the mainstay of Sri Lanka's innings, mounting a formidable challenge against Bangladesh's bowling attack. He reached his half-century off just 35 balls and seemed destined for a century until Taskin Ahmed intervened, trapping him at 86 off 55 balls. The crucial wicket fell as a result of a well-laid bouncer trap set by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Taskin.
Despite Sri Lanka's efforts to accelerate their scoring rate in the death overs, they lost key wickets at crucial junctures. The dismissals of Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews in the 17th and 18th overs dealt significant blows to their hopes of posting a daunting total.
Second T20I: Bangladesh level series with 8-wicket win
In the end, Sri Lanka concluded their innings at 174 for seven, scoring 39 runs in the last five overs.
Third T20I: Bangladesh opt to bowl first again in series decider
Bangladesh won the toss for the third consecutive time in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka and opted to bowl first in the series decider in Sylhet on Saturday.
The hosts fielded an unchanged playing XI from their eight-wicket victory in the second match, which levelled the series at 1-1.
In the second match, Najmul Hossain Shanto scored a 50, which came as a relief as he was struggling for a long time.
Read: Third T20I: Bangladesh eye series win against Sri Lanka
In the first match, Mahmudullah Riyad and Jaker Ali scored 50 each, but their efforts went in vain as Bangladesh lost the first match.
Bangladesh are aiming to win their first-ever T20I series against Sri Lanka.
After this series, both teams will travel to Chattogram for a three-match ODI series, followed by a two-match Test series.
The first Test will be played in Sylhet, while the second will take place in Chattogram.
Read: Second T20I: Bangladesh level series with 8-wicket win
Bangladesh XI: Litton Das (w), Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.
Sri Lanka XI: Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis (w), Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando, and Nuwan Thushara.
Third T20I: Bangladesh eye series win against Sri Lanka
The third and final T20I of the three-match series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has become a decider as both teams claimed victory in one match each in the first two encounters.
Bangladesh is poised to secure a series win as they face off against the tourists on Saturday at Sylhet International Stadium.
The match is scheduled to commence at 3 pm (Bangladesh time) and will be broadcast live on Gtv and T-Sports. Fans worldwide can follow the action through various channels and OTT platforms, including the YouTube channels of Rabbithole and T-Sports.
In the first match, Bangladesh fell short by a mere three runs while chasing a daunting total of 206 runs. Despite impressive half-centuries from veteran Mahmudullah Riyad and newcomer Jaker Ali, Bangladesh faltered in the final stretch.
However, the tables turned in the following match as Bangladesh's disciplined bowling attack restricted Sri Lanka to a modest total, which they comfortably chased down, losing only two wickets with nearly two overs to spare.
A notable highlight from the second match was the half-century by Najmul Hossain Shanto, the Bangladesh captain, who has been enduring a lean spell of form. His fifty provided a much-needed boost to the Bangladesh team.
“We are in a position to win this series, but to do that, we have to consider other factors,” Bangladesh's head coach, Chandika Hathurusingh, said ahead of the decisive clash.
“It is a day game. We are aware of those factors. If we execute our gameplan, we are giving ourselves the best chance to win the series. Having said that, Sri Lanka is a very good T20 team,” he added.
Bangladesh has never won a T20I series against Sri Lanka, making this a big opportunity for the Tigers to assert themselves in the shortest format of international cricket. A victory in the third T20I would instill confidence in the Bangladesh team ahead of their upcoming ODI series against the same opponent in Chattogram.
Looking ahead to the series, Bangladesh captain Najmul emphasized their focus on enhancing their performance in T20Is and achieving success in ODIs.
“The past year has seen positive developments for us in T20Is,” Najmul stated. “Our T20I game has notably improved. By addressing a few key areas, we can aspire to perform well against any team, irrespective of the conditions, in the future.”
Premier Div Hockey: Usha KC make big upset outplaying holders Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club 5-1
Coming from behind, Usha KC made a big upset in the 11-team Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League outplaying defending champions Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club by 5-1 goals in league opener at the Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
With the day's well merited victory, the old Dhaka outfit Usha KC not only made a flying start in the league with the frustration of Club Cup champions Mariner Youngs, but also took a sweet revenage of their 4-8 goals defeat against them in the Club Cup Hockey recently.
In the league opener, Mahbub Hossain struck twice, Tayab Ali, Irshad Iktidar and Mohammad Shariq scored one each for Usha KC while Sohanur Rahman Sabuj scored the consolation goal for Mariner Youngs Club.
Defender Sohanur Rahman Sabuj put Mariner Youngs Club ahead in the very first minute of the match from a penalty corner (1-0).
Mohammad Shariq leveled the margin for Usha KC in the 5th minute also converting a penalty corner (1-1).
Tayab Ali put Usha KC ahead from behind three minutes later by a field goal to dominate the first quarter by 2-1 goals.
After goalless in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, Irshad Iktidar widen the Usha margin in the 47th minute by a field goal (3-1).
Mahbub Hossain sealed the fate of the match scoring two quick field goals in the last moments (57th and 58th minute) with the frustration of the champions (5-1).
Four foreign players studded Usha KC missed another half dozens of chances in the match against two foreign players based Mariner Youngs, which spoiled ten penalty corners.
Two matches will be held on Friday, Bangladesh Sporting Club will face Victoria SC at 4 pm while Dhaka Mohammedan SC will encounter Azad SC at 6 pm at the same venue.
SAFF U-16 Women's Champs: Bangladesh to play arch-rival India in final Sunday
India smartly qualified for the final of the four-nation SAFF U-16 Women's Championship'2024 eliminating hosts Nepal by a huge margin of 10-0 goal in their 3rd and last league match at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur, Nepal, Thursday afternoon.
The final match between two arch-rivals India and Bangladesh will kick-off on Sunday (March 10) at 3:15 pm Bangladesh time at the same venue.
Bangladesh U-16 Women's team is in upper hand to reach the final with one match to spare having all- win record outplaying giant neighbor India by 3-1 goal in the 2nd league match at the same venue last Tuesday, featuring three goals by Alpi Akter, Sauravi Akhand Prity and captan Arpita Biswas.
In the remaining league match, Bangladesh will meet all-losers Bhutan on Friday ( March 8) at the same time and same venue, result of which will not hamper their final berth.
Ahead of the Friday's match, Bangladesh team made their practices at the ANFA Complex in Lalitpur Thursday morning from 9 am to 11:30 am
Earlier, Bangladesh made a good start beating hosts Nepal by 2-0 goal and confirmed the final berth outplaying India by 3-1 goal in the 2nd match.
On the other hand, India made a flying start crushing Bhutan by 7-0 goal in tournament opener and assured the final outplaying host Nepal by 10-0 goal in the 3nd match on Thursday, after conceding 1-3 goal defeat in the 2nd match.
Nepal and Bhutan were eliminated from the four- nation regional meet.
Cool- BSJA Media Cup Football advances to quarterfinals Thursday
The Cool-Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) Media Cup Football
Tournament' 2024 advanced to the quarterfinal stage on the 3rd day of the meet at the BFF Astroturf in Motijheel on Thursday.
On the 3rd day (Thursday), Boishakhi TV outplayed Ekhon TV by 3-0 goals, Ekattor TV beat Dainik Samakal by 2-0 goals, Dhaka Tribune beat Deepta TV by 2-1 goals, The Business Standard defeated Daily Star also by 2-1 goals, Channel i outplayed ATN News by 3-0 goals, Dainik Kalbela beat Bangla News 24 by 1-0 goal, Dainik Jugantor defeated RTV by 1-0 goal, and Jamuna TV beat BTV by 1-0 goal to qualify for the quarterfinals.
All four quarterfinals will be held on Friday.
Friday's quarterfinal matches are: Jugantor vs Kalbela (10: am); Business Standard vs Channel i (10:00 am); Jamuna TV vs Ekattor TV (11:00 am) and Boishakhi TV vs Dhaka Tribune (11:00 am).
Former national footballer and coach Hasanuzzaman Bablu attended the day's matches as invitee guest, and later he distributed the man of the match awards.
Tournament committee chairman Raihan Al Mugni and the tournament's chief coordinator, Ariful Rahman Babu, were also present on the occasion.
Para Olympics Archery : Joma Akter wins bronze in compound women's singles
Joma Akter of Bangladesh clinched the bronze medal in the compound women's singles of the Paris 2024 Para Olympics final quota tournament, beating Wallace Teresa of the USA by 138-134 in the bronze medal deciding match held in Dubai, UAE, on Wednesday.
Joma reached the event's quarterfinal, beating Venter Katelynn of Namibia by a score of 133–112, and moved into the semifinal, defeating LeeYun Hsien of Chinese Taipei by a score of 134–130, but lost to Virgilio Maria Andrea of Italy by a score of 136–137 in the semifinal to settle for the bronze medal race.
Second T20I: Bangladesh level series with 8-wicket win
Bangladesh secured an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second match of the three-match T20I series on Wednesday in Sylhet.
With this triumph, Bangladesh evened the series after Sri Lanka clinched the first match by a narrow margin of three runs. The decisive third match of the series is scheduled for March 9.
Second T20I: Bangladesh elect to bowl first vs Sri Lanka
Chasing a target of 166 runs set by Sri Lanka, the hosts comfortably achieved victory with 11 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand.
Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar laid a solid foundation with a brisk 68-run partnership in seven overs, ensuring that the Sri Lankan bowlers struggled to gain momentum.
Bangladesh aim to bounce back in the second T20I against Sri Lanka
Despite being out of form for an extended period, Soumya contributed 26 runs off 22 balls, while Litton made a promising start with 36 runs off 25 balls, including five fours. However, both batsmen failed to capitalise on their starts.
Following their dismissals, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy maintained the pressure on the Sri Lankan bowlers, guiding Bangladesh to a comfortable victory.
Matheesha Pathirana accounted for both wickets lost by Bangladesh in this encounter.
Bangladesh set 203-run target for Ireland in second T20I
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to field first. Sri Lanka's innings got off to a shaky start, with opener Avishka Fernando departing for a seven-ball duck. However, Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis stabilised the innings with a 66-run partnership for the second wicket, laying a platform for a competitive total.
Despite disciplined bowling from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka managed to post 165 runs. Angelo Mathews contributed a valuable 32 runs off 21 balls, while Dasun Shanaka chipped in with a quickfire 20 off 18 balls in the latter stages of the inning.
Bangladesh captain Najmul lauded his team's performance, emphasising their resilience and character.
“I'm really pleased with the way we bowled,” Najmul remarked. “I'm not singling out any particular bowler; they all performed admirably. Shoriful bowled impressively during the BPL as well, and it's great to see him in form.”
Premier Division Hockey League begins Thursday
The 11-team Green Delta Insurance Metropolis Premier Division Hockey League' 2023–24 season will begin on Thursday at the Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium here.
The Club Cup Champions Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club will play old Dhaka hockey giant Usha KC in the opening match on Thursday at 4:00 pm while former champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd will face Dilkusha SC in the other opening day's fixture at 6:00 pm.
On the following day (Friday), Bangladesh Sporting Club will face Victoria SC at 4:00 pm while Dhaka Mohammedan SC will encounter Azad SC at 6:00 pm at the same venue.
Earlier, the premier division hockey league was due to begin on Friday, but in the dying moment, the league rescheduled for Thursday, a day ahead of the previous fixture, following the appeal of the three big clubs—Usha KC, Mohammedan SC, and Abahani Ltd.
After a long break of two and a half years, the domestic hockey competition began here with the Club Cup Hockey Tournament on February 22.
Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club retained the Club Cup title for the second consecutive time, beating the national star studded Dhaka Abahani Limited by 2-0 in the final on Saturday (March 2) night.
National Men's Handball: Ansar-VDP emerge champions beating BDR in final match
Bangladesh Ansar and VDP team emerged champions in the Exim Bank 34th National Men's Handball Championship' 2023, dethroning Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) by 33-25 goals in the final at the Shaheed (Capt) M Monsur Ali National Handball Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.
This was the third national men's crown for the Ansar and VDP team.
National Men's Handball: BDR and Ansar to face each other in final Wednesday
Rabiul Islam of the champion Ansar and VDP was adjudged the best player of the tournament.
Bangladesh Police finished third in the meet, beating Bandarban DSA by 33-17 goals in a place deciding match held Wednesday afternoon.
National Men's Handball: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) emerge champions
Managing Director and CEO of the meet's sponsor, Exim Bank PLC, Mohammad Firoz Hossain, was the chief guest in the day's final, and later distributed the trophes.
Shakib pitches for Unicef against national menace of drowning
Earlier in the semifinals, BDR beat Bandarban DSA by 46-29 goals, while the Ansar and VDP teams defeated Police Handball Club by 40-30 goals.