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In a rare matchup this World Cup, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka faced off in Delhi on Monday. They limited Sri Lanka to 279 points. In
41.1 overs, they managed to chase down the goal. They performed well enough to
move up two spots in the points table and obtain the desired increase in net
run-rate.
All of this contributed to the general feeling of
sorrow regarding Bangladesh’s World Cup participation.
After Shakib Al Hasan, who was declared Player of the
Match after going 2 for 57 and hitting 65 balls for 82 in a third-wicket stand
of 169 runs with 90-striker Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh was disappointed
that they had not achieved the goals they had set for themselves in the World
Cup. Despite this, they are currently in a position to earn a spot straight in
the 2025 Champions Trophy.
“If we had done that [played like this] in
earlier matches, that would have been better,” Shakib said after the match
against Sri Lanka. “If we had won one or two more matches, we would have
been in a nice position. We had a lot of expectations. I thought we let
ourselves down. I thought the target we set within the team, what we thought we
are capable of doing, we couldn’t do it. So that’s the disappointment we all
have.”
The Shakib and Shanto stand, Bangladesh’s highest for
any wicket against Sri Lanka – after they were 41 for 2 in the seventh over –
won the match for Bangladesh.
“It was a very important partnership,”
Shakib said. “We talk about it constantly in the dressing room – we always
need these partnerships to win games, especially in the top order. Otherwise,
we are always repairing damage in the lower order. Today’s partnership won us
the game.”