Sri Lanka made a dream start to their Asia Cup T20 2025 campaign at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi after choosing to bowl first. The pace duo of Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera set the tone perfectly, producing back-to-back wicket maidens that immediately left Bangladesh struggling for momentum.
While skipper Litton Das tried to steady the innings with some resistance, Sri Lanka found further success with the introduction of Wanindu Hasaranga in the eighth over. The leg-spinner struck instantly, trapping Mahedi Hasan plumb in front with a well-disguised googly, reducing Bangladesh to 38/4.
Hasaranga nearly added another scalp in his following over with another clever variation. His delivery pitched outside off and sharply turned in to sneak through Jaker Ali’s bat and pads before brushing the stumps. The ball even triggered the lights on the stumps, but in a bizarre twist, the bails refused to budge and stayed firmly in place.
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The bowler couldn’t believe his eyes. Hasaranga pointed towards the stumps in utter disbelief, while wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis vented his frustration by knocking the bails off himself to check the system. As the umpire rushed in to reset them, Mendis repeated the act again, voicing his complaint about the missed dismissal.
The unusual incident quickly became a talking point on social media. Fans expressed sympathy for Hasaranga, noting that he had done everything right to dismiss the batter, only to be denied by sheer bad luck. The moment added drama to Sri Lanka’s dominant performance, showcasing just how unpredictable cricket can be.