Bangladesh wrapped up a landmark 2-1 T20I series win in Colombo, beating Sri Lanka by eight wickets, and it was Mahedi Hasan who put his name in lights. The off-spinner, recalled for the decider, returned career-best figures of 4 for 11 and now tops the list for powerplay wickets by a spinner since January 2021.
Captain Litton Das admitted he had pencilled Mahedi in for this match as soon as the tour itinerary landed on his desk. “We felt that Mahedi’s skills would be a perfect fit for the Colombo wicket,” Litton said after the match. “It doesn’t mean he doesn’t bowl well on other wickets. I had planned it as soon as I saw the schedule that Mahedi will be my first name in the line-up at this venue. It also doesn’t mean that Mehidy [Hasan Miraz] is not a good bowler or batter. As a team leader, I will think deeply about the surface before choosing a team. A bowling-friendly surface will always make me pick Mahedi. If it is batting-friendly, Miraz will come back into the team.”
That surface did grip, and Mahedi struck immediately, removing Kusal Perera in his opening over and Dinesh Chandimal in the fifth. Two more wickets followed as Sri Lanka were restricted to a modest total the Bangladesh batters overhauled without fuss.
The outing was particularly sweet for the 30-year-old, who had missed the previous five T20Is after an expensive run against UAE and Pakistan in May. The drop felt harsh—he had only been Player of the Series in the West Indies last December—yet he insisted afterwards he “never lost confidence”. Performances like Wednesday night suggest he had little reason to.
Litton’s own belief does not appear to waver either. “It is a proud moment for me as a captain. I am happy that the fans are also happy seeing us win a T20I series in Sri Lanka,” he said. “We always try to give our 100% in the middle. We train in the way that we can give 100% in the middle. I always had the belief. I never had a shortage of belief in my ten years at this level.”
Bangladesh have now come from 1-0 down to win a three-match T20I series twice—the first time was against Zimbabwe in 2022—and Litton felt the result reflected an otherwise solid tour. He conceded the headlines have been dominated by collapses: 94 all out in the second T20I, 167 in the first ODI and 186 in the final one-dayer. “We didn’t play bad cricket in all the formats. It looks different as we had some batting collapses,” he noted. “All the batters fell for 30-35 runs in the second Test, which had a good batting track. Someone had to play a big knock. It was the same in the first ODI: we lost plenty of wickets in a collapse. We need to be more focused as a batting unit, and take responsibility with our choices of shots, [and] we will do better.”
Litton himself showed flashes of form—76 from 50 balls in the second T20I, 32 in the decider—and his partnership with Najmul Hossain Shanto on Wednesday settled any early nerves after Bangladesh slipped to 18 for 2. The captain’s run-a-ball 32 was hardly box-office, but it steadied the chase and allowed Shanto and Towhid Hridoy to finish the job with 22 balls to spare.
From a tactical angle, Bangladesh’s use of Mahedi in the powerplay was decisive. In an age where most sides front-load pace, Litton’s decision to open with spin exploited Sri Lanka’s left-handers and the track’s grip. Since January 2021, no spinner has more powerplay wickets in T20Is than Mahedi; the data backed the gut feel.
For Sri Lanka, the result exposes a familiar fragility against quality spin, particularly in the first six overs. Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka provided a spark earlier in the series, yet the hosts rarely looked comfortable once the ball started turning. Their bowling, too, missed the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, leaving Dilshan Madushanka and Matheesha Pathirana to shoulder the load.
Bangladesh will leave for home satisfied but hardly complacent. The top order still relies heavily on Litton and Shanto, while the middle overs can drift when the seamers don’t find early movement. However, the emergence of young left-arm quick Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, who dismissed both Asalanka and Angelo Mathews in the decider, offers genuine pace depth.
The next challenge comes quickly: a two-match Test series in Chattogram and Dhaka starting later this month. Questions remain over Bangladesh’s batting durability in the longer format, yet the T20I triumph has given them a lift. Just as importantly, it has reinforced the message that selection can, and will, hinge on conditions rather than reputation.
And if there is a slow, gripping surface on offer, do not be surprised if Mahedi Hasan’s is, once again, the first name scribbled on Litton Das’s team sheet.
