Asia Cup 2025: Litton hails pacers Mustafizur, Taskin after win

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das hailed his pace duo for turning the game around in the death overs as Bangladesh edged past Sri Lanka by four wickets in a nail-biting Super Four clash in Dubai.

Dubai [UAE], September 21: Bangladesh began their Super Four journey in the Asia Cup 2025 with a dramatic last-over win against Sri Lanka, and skipper Litton Das gave full credit to his pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed for sealing the deal in crunch moments.

With Sri Lanka cruising at 153/4 after 18 overs, it looked like Dasun Shanaka’s fiery knock would push them close to 190. But Mustafizur turned the tide with a magical 19th over, picking up three wickets while conceding just five runs. Taskin then closed out the innings smartly, giving away 10 runs despite Shanaka’s six and four, restricting Sri Lanka to 168/7.

Speaking after the game, a visibly relieved Litton said, “We know how dangerous Mustafizur is. Mustafizur and Taskin, in the last two overs, changed the game. It looked like 190, and they kept it down. Taskin bowled a really good final over. I know Saif can win games for Bangladesh, and today he showed why. But we need to keep pushing—new venue, new opposition, and we must bring our A-game against India on September 24.”

Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka admitted his team fell short in the final overs despite Shanaka’s explosive half-century. “We were 10–15 runs short. Shanaka batted brilliantly, we pushed him down to five and he delivered, but those last two overs cost us. It was still a terrific game, but we could have done better,” Asalanka reflected.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka made a brisk start after losing the toss, with Pathum Nissanka (22 off 15) and Kusal Mendis (34 off 25) providing momentum. Shanaka (64 off 37, 3 fours, 6 sixes) then unleashed carnage alongside Asalanka (21 off 12), guiding SL to 168/7. Mustafizur (3/20), Mahedi Hasan (2/25), and Taskin Ahmed (1/34) kept Bangladesh in the contest.

The chase wasn’t without drama. After losing Tanzid Hasan early, Saif Hassan (61 off 45) and Towhid Hridoy (58 off 37) anchored the innings with composed half-centuries. Their partnerships first with Litton (23) and then together for 54 runs kept Bangladesh on course. But late jitters saw the Tigers slip from 159/3 to 168/6 in the final over.

It took calm heads from Shamim Hossain (14*) and Nasum Ahmed (1*) to finally drag Bangladesh over the line with one ball to spare, handing their side a thrilling four-wicket victory.

With this win, Bangladesh not only made a strong statement but also snapped Sri Lanka’s momentum, setting up the stage for an even more exciting clash with India.