Sri Lanka thrash Bangladesh by 63 runs to claim Asian Games cricket bronze

Sri Lanka claimed the Asian Games men's cricket bronze medal on Saturday, defeating Bangladesh by 63 runs at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin after recovering from a dramatic early batting collapse.

Sri Lanka innings

Batting first, Sri Lanka slumped to 21 for 4 and appeared in danger of posting a modest total. Tharindu Ratnayake and Sahan Arachchige then transformed the innings. The pair added 93 for the sixth wicket off just 46 balls, shifting momentum and setting a competitive target. Ratnayake made 65 off 32 deliveries with aggressive strokeplay, while Arachchige contributed 33 as Sri Lanka posted 165 for 9. Mahedi Hasan was Bangladesh's most economical bowler with figures of 2 for 19.

Bangladesh chase

Chasing 166, Bangladesh were bowled out for 102 in 17.3 overs and never seriously threatened the required rate. Nasum Ahmed top-scored with 26, but the rest of the batting order struggled against Sri Lanka's varied attack. Nuwan Thushara and Ratnayake each took 2 for 18 as the bowlers closed out the victory, completing a strong all-round display from Ratnayake on the day.

Medal podium

India took gold and Pakistan silver in the men's competition, with Sri Lanka securing bronze through this result. The bronze medal match stood alone as Sri Lanka's path to the podium after the early batting scare and the middle-order rescue that defined the contest.

The Asian Games cricket competition continues to raise the profile of T20-format international cricket in multi-sport events, and Sri Lanka's bronze adds another continental medal to the island's multi-sport record. Ratnayake's dual contribution with bat and ball was the defining feature of the bronze-medal contest.

Match details were reported by ESPNcricinfo and Olympics.com.