Jaker heroics in vain as Sri Lanka clinch last ball thriller in first T20I

So close yet so far again for Bangladesh as Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali's blistering fifties went in vain in Bangladesh's three-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the T20I series opener at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium at Sylhet.

Mahmudullah returned to the T20I side for the first time since Asia Cup 2022 and played an aggressive 54-run innings from 31 balls. 

Jaker struck his maiden T20I fifty and gave Bangladesh hopes in thr latter part of the game.

But their heroics were never going to be enough as the hosts had already lost their way in their chase of 207. 

Bangladesh lost early wickets in their mammoth chase and were never in the driver's seat to win the match. Litton Das went for a duck in the very first over while Soumya Sarkar and Towhid Hridoy followed Litton soon after leaving the hosts three down inside the fifth over.  

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto struggled in his sluggish 20-run innings, especially looking helpless to Matheesha Pathirana before departing. 

Mahmudullah then built a partnership with Jaker Ali to give the hosts some sort of hope. Mahmudullah hit two boundaries and four maximums in his innings including one of Pathirana which went straight out of the roof.

After Mahmudullah's departure, Jaker took control of things and at one point Bangladesh needed 56 runs to win from the final four overs.

Mahedi Hasan joined Jaker in the middle and the duo put up a 65-run partnership in no time. Jaker was the primary aggressor but Mahedi bagged a useful 16 off 11 balls.

Jaker scored 68 runs from 34 balls hitting four boundaries and six maximums. 

Bangladesh needed 12 from the last over. They lost Rishad Hossain and Jaker inside the first three balls. But Shoriful Islam came in and struck a boundary to make it six needed from the final two balls.

The two batters in the middle failed to hit a boundary and Bangladesh eventually lost the match by 3 runs.