Zawad Abrar announces himself as Bangladesh thrash Sri Lanka by 146 runs
His knock helped Bangladesh post a towering total of 336 for 8 before their bowlers skittled the hosts for just 190, sealing a commanding 146-run win and giving the visitors a 3–1 lead in the six-match youth ODI series.
In a matter of days, Zawad Abrar has gone from a promising young batter to one of the brightest prospects in Bangladesh's youth ranks.
With two commanding centuries in the space of three matches against Sri Lanka Under-19s, the right-handed opener has not only played a key role in his side's dominance but also broken a national record in the process.
On 3 May at Colombo Cricket Club, Abrar struck a composed 113 off 115 deliveries, featuring 14 boundaries and 3 sixes. His knock helped Bangladesh post a towering total of 336 for 8 before their bowlers skittled the hosts for just 190, sealing a commanding 146-run win and giving the visitors a 3–1 lead in the six-match youth ODI series.
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The latest innings followed a stunning unbeaten 130 in the previous match, also at Colombo, where he struck 14 fours and 6 sixes off just 106 balls to guide Bangladesh to another dominant win. Even in the game in between his hundreds, Abrar made a useful contribution of 38 off 35 balls, highlighting his consistency at the top of the order.
By reaching two youth international centuries in just eight innings, Abrar now holds the record for the fastest pair of U-19 hundreds by a Bangladeshi. The previous best belonged to Ariful Islam, who reached the landmark in 15 innings. Mahmudul Hasan Joy (16), Amit Majumder (17), and Pinak Ghosh (21) complete the top five.
Batting first on 3 may, Bangladesh's innings was built around Abrar's partnerships—49 runs with Kalam Siddique (19), and then a crucial 135-run stand with Rizon Hossain, who narrowly missed out on a century himself, scoring 85 from 77 balls. The lower order chipped in as well, with Mohammad Abdullah adding 32, Saimun Bashir 23, and Debashish Deba 19. Al Fahad's unbeaten 19 helped push the total well past 300.
Sri Lanka, in reply, collapsed early, losing four wickets for just 36 runs and never recovered. Captain Vimuth Dinsara top-scored with 66 off 72, while Rashith Nimsara struck 39 from 29 balls. Al Fahad was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets, while Sanjid Majumdar and Azizul Hakim Tamim took 2 apiece. Samiun Bashir, Deba, and Kalam each grabbed one.
