Tharindu Ratnayake Stars as Sri Lanka Beat Bangladesh
Sri Lanka secured the bronze medal in the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Bangladesh by 63 runs in the third-place playoff in Nisshin, Japan. The victory ensured Sri Lanka finished the tournament on the podium after missing out on a place in the gold-medal match.
Sri Lanka won the toss and were sent in to bat first, but their innings got off to a difficult start. Bangladesh’s bowlers made early inroads and reduced Sri Lanka to 54 runs for five wickets, leaving the team under significant pressure.
All-rounder Tharindu Ratnayake then produced an important recovery. Coming in at number seven, Ratnayake scored 65 from 32 deliveries, hitting seven fours and five sixes. His aggressive innings transformed Sri Lanka’s position and helped them post a competitive 165/9 from their 20 overs.
Ratnayake also made an impact with the ball after his important contribution with the bat. He finished with figures of 2/18, while Nuwan Thushara, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Wanuja Sahan also claimed two wickets each as Sri Lanka’s bowling attack maintained pressure throughout Bangladesh’s chase.
Bangladesh struggled to build partnerships during their innings. Sri Lanka’s bowlers regularly took wickets and prevented the opposition from developing the momentum required to chase down 166.
Bangladesh were eventually dismissed for 102, giving Sri Lanka a 63-run victory and the bronze medal. The result provided a strong finish to Sri Lanka’s Asian Games campaign and completed the men’s cricket podium, with India winning gold and Pakistan taking silver after the final.
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