United News of Bangladesh

Sri Lanka pulled off another ODI series win over Bangladesh with a comprehensive performance in the third and deciding match on Tuesday, winning by 99 runs in Pallekele. A century from Kusal Mendis and a disciplined all-round bowling performance saw them outclass Bangladesh to win the series. Batting first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka posted a challenging 285 for 7, anchored by a brilliant 124 from Kusal Mendis. The wicketkeeper-batter struck 18 boundaries in a 114-ball innings, forming key partnerships with skipper Charith Asalanka (58) and Pathum Nissanka (35). Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed two wickets apiece for Bangladesh but failed to stop the hosts crossing the 280-mark. In reply, Bangladesh faltered early, losing Najmul Hossain Shanto for a duck and slumping to 20 for 2. Towhid Hridoy offered some resistance with a 78-ball 51, and captain Mehidy Hasan contributed with a quick 28, but wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Pakistan team announced to play T201 away series against Bangladesh After losing early wickets, the onus was on Towhid and Mehidy, but they failed to deliver when the team needed them most. Asitha Fernando (3 for 33) and Dushmantha Chameera (3 for 51) spearheaded Sri Lanka’s bowling, while Wanindu Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage shared four more wickets between them. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 186 in 39.4 overs, falling well short of the target. Both teams will lock horns in a three-match T20I series.

Riding on the century of Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka posted a challenging total of 285 in the third and final match of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh on Tuesday.  Before falling prey to Shamim Hossain, Kusal scored 124 with 18 fours.  He helped Sri Lanka settle after losing the first wicket for only 13 runs.  In the fourth wicket stand, Kusal and Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka added over 100 runs, giving Sri Lanka much-needed support to post a challenging target for Bangladesh. At one point, Sri Lanka was 224 for four wickets. They were expected to pass the 300-run mark but failed to do so.  Taskin Ahmed, who returned with this match after missing the previous one, broke the stand between Kuslal and Charith with a low full toss. That gave Bangladesh a breakthrough, and eventually, Sri Lanka lost some quick wickets that prevented them from scoring 300.  Sri Lanka win toss and opt to bat first in decider, Taskin returns Taskin bagged two wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz also scalped two.  Bangladesh lost the first match of the series, but they recovered in the second. Now, the winner of this match will seal the series.

Bangladesh lost five wickets for 159 runs in the 2nd ODI of the three-match series against Sri Lanka on Saturday in Colombo. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first, but they failed to lay a good foundation as the opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim fell early. In the second wicket, Parvez Hossain Emon and Najmul Hossain Shanto added 63 wickets. Parvez falls after maiden fifty as Bangladesh build slowly  Parvez hit 67 off 69 balls, while Towhid Hridoy scored 37. Both failed to carry on despite having a good start. After 37 overs, Bangladesh were batting at 192 for five. Asitha Fernando bagges two wickets for 23 runs in five overs.

Left-handed opener Parvez Hossain Emon hit a half-century after Bangladesh lost the opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim, and Najmul Hossain Shanto in the second ODI in Colombo on Saturday.  But he fell, scoring 67 off 69 balls. After the 20th over, Bangladesh were batting at 110 for three.  Bangladesh won the toss in this match and opted to bat first. But they lost the opener, Tanzid, to Asitha Fernando quickly, which put them under early pressure.  Asitha Fernando bagged the first wicket with a knuckle ball, which angled across.  Bangladesh win toss, elect to bat first in must-win second ODI However, in the second wicket stand, Parvez and Najmul added 63 runs to steady the innings.  Scoring 14 runs, Najmul fell to Charith Asalanka off a long-hop delivery.  Bangladesh made two changes to their playing XI bringing Shamim Hossain and Hasan Mahmud in to replace Litton Das and Taskin Ahmed.  Bangladesh lost the first ODI, making the second ODI a must-win encounter for them. 

Charith Asalanka’s century and a disciplined bowling performance powered Sri Lanka to a 77-run victory over Bangladesh in the first ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday. Chasing 245 for victory, Bangladesh looked promising early on with Tanzid Hasan’s fluent 62 off 61 balls. But the innings unraveled rapidly after his dismissal, as the visitors lost six wickets for just five runs between the 17th and 21st overs, crashing from 100 for 2 to 105 for 8. This is the worst collapse in men's ODI history for the 2nd to 8th wicket, with only 5 runs added. The previous record was 8 runs, set by the USA against Nepal in 2020, when they crumbled from 23 for 1 to 31 for 8 before being bowled out for just 35. Asalanka hits fifty to rescue Sri Lanka from collapse Jaker Ali offered late resistance with a 64-ball 51, striking four boundaries and as many sixes. But his effort was not enough, as Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 167 in 35.5 overs. Sri Lanka’s spinners did the bulk of the damage, with Wanindu Hasaranga picking up 4 for 10 in 7.5 overs. Kamindu Mendis chipped in with 3 for 19, ripping through Bangladesh’s middle and lower order. Maheesh Theekshana and Asitha Fernando took one wicket each. Earlier, Sri Lanka, after opting to bat, posted 244 despite a shaky start. The hosts were reduced to 11 for 2 inside five overs and later slumped to 29 for 3. But Asalanka anchored the innings with a well-crafted 106 off 123 balls, featuring six fours and four sixes. He added vital runs with Janith Liyanage and Milan Rathnayake to rebuild the innings. Taskin Ahmed led Bangladesh’s bowling attack with figures of 4 for 47, while Tanzim Sakib grabbed three wickets. Debutant Tanvir Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto took one apiece. Mustafizur Rahman bowled tidy spells before leaving the field injured. The second and final ODI will be played on July 5 and 8.

Sri Lanka surged ahead in the second Test against Bangladesh, finishing their first innings on 458 to take a big 211-run lead at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Day 3. Pathum Nissanka was the standout performer, scoring 158 off 254 balls. The right-hander anchored Sri Lanka’s innings from the top, striking 19 boundaries and frustrating the Bangladesh bowlers on a pitch that gradually offered more for the spinners. Before this hundred, Nissanka scored 187 in the first Test in Galle which ended in a draw.  Nissanka was well-supported by Dinesh Chandimal, who added 93 in a 194-run second-wicket stand, and later by Kusal Mendis, who scored a brisk 84 off just 87 deliveries to stretch Sri Lanka’s advantage. Despite losing a few wickets in clumps during the afternoon, the hosts maintained control of the match. For Bangladesh, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam led the bowling effort with a five-wicket haul (5 for 131), showing great discipline and patience across 42.5 overs. Colombo Test: Nissanka leads with 158 as Sri Lanka reaches 401-6 at lunch on Day 3 Nayeem Hasan chipped in with three wickets, but lacked consistency, while the pace attack looked largely ineffective as Ebadot Hossain and Nahid Rana both went wicketless across their extended spells. Earlier in the match, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first but failed to capitalize. Shadman Islam top-scored with 46, and there were useful contributions from Mehidy Hasan Miraz (31), Taijul Islam (33), and Litton Das (34), but none of the batters could convert starts into a defining innings. Bangladesh were eventually dismissed for 247 inside 80 overs, with Asitha Fernando (3 for 51) and Sonal Dinusha (3 for 22) doing the bulk of the damage.

Facing uneven bounce and variable pace, Bangladesh were bundled out for 247 in the first innings of the Colombo Test against Sri Lanka on the second day morning. Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh’s top and middle-order showed glimpses of resilience but failed to convert their starts into a commanding total. Anamul Haque Bijoy, who had earned a Test call scoring ample runs in domestic cricket, failed to produce anything impressive in this tour. In the first match, he failed to justify his place in the Bangladesh team; now, in the second match, he suffered a duck in the first innings. Other opener Shadman Islam led the scoring with a patient 46 off 93 deliveries, while Taijul Islam (33), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), Litton Das (34), and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (31) all chipped in without managing to anchor the innings. BCB to celebrate 25 years of Test status Thursday with special reception All these batters managed to get a good start facing the quality bowling attack of the hosts, but were disappointed to carry on. Bangladesh faced the early setback of losing Anamul for a duck, and following that, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (8) fell cheaply after registering twin centuries in the series opener, while Mominul Haque contributed 21. At 76 for 4, Bangladesh were in a spot of bother, but small but effective partnerships between the middle and lower order helped them recover. Sonal Dinusha, playing in his debut Test, impressed with the ball, taking 3 for 22, including the key scalps of Mushfiqur and Taijul. Fast bowlers Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando shared five wickets between them, consistently troubling the batters with movement and bounce. Both teams came to this match keeping a win in mind to seal the series.

Bangladesh find themselves in a welcome but tricky situation ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka, starting Wednesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, as the return of Mehidy Hasan Miraz poses a selection dilemma for the team management. Mehidy missed the first Test in Galle due to illness. But now he is back with his all-around values.  However, his replacement in Galle, off-spinner Nayeem Hasan, made a strong case for retention by taking six wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings. “It’s a good headache to have,” head coach Phil Simmons said on Tuesday. “Miraz is world-class, contributes with both bat and ball. But Nayeem was brilliant in Galle. It’s never easy to leave someone out after such a performance. We'll take a final call after today’s training.” Should Bangladesh decide to play both off-spinners, a likely casualty could be a specialist batter—possibly wicketkeeper-batter Zakir Ali. But Simmons declined to confirm anything, stating that the final XI would be revealed on match day. Galle Test: Shanto hits back-to-back centuries as Bangladesh set 296 for Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, too, are undergoing changes. With veteran Angelo Mathews having retired after the Galle Test, three young faces—Pavan Rathnayake, Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Sonal Dinusha—have been added to the squad. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva hinted that Dinusha, a left-handed batter who also bowls left-arm spin, is in serious consideration. “Sonal is promising, and can be useful given the conditions,” Dhananjaya said. Meanwhile, medium-pacer Milan Rathnayake has been ruled out with a side strain, creating an opening for either Kasun Rajitha or Akila Dananjaya—the latter returning to the Test setup after nearly six years.

The rain-hit draw in the first Test of the two-match series has disappointed both Sri Lanka and touring Bangladesh. In the second Test, starts on Wednesday, both teams eye a win to seal the series.  Bangladesh’s head coach Phil Simmons sounded optimistic ahead of the second Test. He drew inspiration from the performance of the first match, where Bangladesh dictated the match much of the time before the rain ruined the potential result.  “We hit the ground running,” Simmons said. “That gives us a lot of belief going into the second Test.” There are criticisms that Bangladesh had declared earlier, the result would have been possible. Simmons defended the team’s approach, citing the flatness of the pitch and reduced time due to rain. “The wicket was still good. It wasn’t turning much, and the rough wasn’t going to be as effective with only two left-handers in their lineup,” he explained. In the first match, Bangladesh’s stars were Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim. While Najmul hit centuries in each innings, Mushfiqur hit one. And with the ball, Nayeem Hasan bags a five-for.  The return of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, now fully fit after illness ruled him out of the first Test, provides a boost. Sri Lanka suffer a blow ahead of second Test vs Bangladesh But it also poses a selection dilemma, especially after Nayeem’s standout performance in Galle, where he took a five-wicket haul across both innings. “That’s the hard part,” Simmons admitted. “Nayeem had a wonderful game, and it would be tough to leave him out. But we always prioritize what’s best for the team.” Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will be without seamer Milan Rathnayake due to a side strain.  Vishwa Fernando replaces him, while spin-bowling allrounder Dunith Wellalage comes in to fill the void left by Angelo Mathews, who retired from Tests after the first match. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva is anticipating a high-scoring affair but expects the pitch to offer some turn in the latter stages. “It’s going to be a batting wicket, especially in the first few days,” he said. “But it should start turning later.” While Dhananjaya acknowledged Miraz’s quality, he downplayed any specific threat from the off-spinner. “He’s a good performer, and we respect that. But we’re focused on our own game. It should be a good contest.”

Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain has been picked once again by Hobart Hurricanes for the upcoming season of Australia’s Big Bash League, becoming the only Bangladeshi player to earn a team spot in this year’s overseas draft. Rishad was drafted 13th overall during Wednesday’s event at NEP Studios in Melbourne. The 21-year-old also received a call-up from Hobart in the previous season but could not participate as the Bangladesh Cricket Board did not grant him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) due to the national team’s tour of the West Indies. Galle Test: Taijul bags first wicket after Bangladesh post 495 Despite Rishad's absence last season, the Hurricanes went on to win their maiden Big Bash title. If all goes well this time, Rishad is set to become only the second Bangladeshi to feature in the BBL, after Shakib Al Hasan. While 11 Bangladeshi cricketers had registered for the draft—including Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Towhid Hridoy—Rishad was the only one selected. Hobart also picked England’s leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, possibly indicating a spin-heavy strategy for the coming season. Risahd has played 35 T20Is so far and bagged 43 wickets for Bangladesh.