Asia Cup 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 5 wickets in Group B opener

Sri Lanka emerged victorious in the second match of the Asia Cup 2023, held at Pallekele on 31st August, as they defeated Bangladesh by 5 wickets.

The partnership between Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama proved to be the deciding factor in overcoming the challenge posed by Bangladesh, led by Shakib Al Hasan, with an impressive 66 balls remaining.

Right from the start, the Bangladesh batters struggled to face the formidable Sri Lankan bowling attack. With the exception of Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored a commendable 89 runs off 122 balls, no other players managed to contribute significantly to the squad’s score. Eventually, by the 42.4th over, the entire team collapsed, reaching a total of 164 runs.

Sri Lanka’s bowling attack was led by Matheesha Pathirana, who took an impressive 4 wickets, supported by Maheesh Theekshana with 2 wickets. Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, and Dasun Shanaka also made valuable contributions by picking up one wicket each.

In pursuit of a relatively modest target of 165 runs, Sri Lanka faced early setbacks, losing wickets. However, the partnership between Sadeera Samarawickrama, who scored 54 runs, and Charith Asalanka, who contributed 62 runs, proved to be pivotal in securing a convincing 5-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Shakib Al Hasan stood out for Bangladesh, taking two wickets, while Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Mahedi Hasan each claimed one wicket.

Asia Cup 2023 Points Table

Group A

Pakistan – Match 1, Won 1, Lost 0, Pts 2, NRR +4.760

India – Match 0, Won 0, Lost 0, Pts 0, NRR 0

Nepal – Match 1, Won 0, Lost 1, Pts 0, NRR -4.760

Group B

Sri Lanka – Match 1, Won 1, Lost 0, Pts 2, NRR +0.951

Afganistan – Match 0, Won 0, Lost 0, Pts 0, NRR 0

Bangladesh – Match 1, Won 0, Lost 1, Pts 0, NRR -0.951

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