Sri Lanka 5-198 (Kusal Janith Perera 64, Jeevan Mendis 37, Angelo Mathews 30*, Mahmudullah 1-28) beat Bangladesh 7-181 (Mohammad Ashraful 43, Mushfiqur Rahim 39, Mahmudullah 31, Thisara Perera 2-25) by 17 runs.

Kusal Janith Perera demonstrated an attacking knock of 64 runs while opening the innings for Sri Lanka as the hosts won the only T20 vs. Bangladesh in the end.

The Lankan Lions amassed 198 runs with five wickets in hand in the scheduled 20 overs and the Bengal Tigers scored 181 runs for the loss of seven wickets.

Kusal Janith Perera (Sri Lanka) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his attacking innings of 64 from 44 balls.

The only Twenty20 was played on Sunday, March31, 2013, at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Earlier, the captain of Bangladesh, Mushfiqur Rahim, won the toss and opted to chase while sending in the home team for batting. Kusal Janith Perera started off in style by dispatching 14 runs in the very first over and Dilshan Munaweera got a four in the next. The latter was clean bowled for five runs by Sohag Gazi at 32 in 2.4 overs and was replaced by Dinesh Chandimal. Perera kept on toying with the rival bowling  by sending the ball out of the fence regularly and hit his maiden T20 fifty in the 8^th over.

Chandimal was gone next for 9 and Kusal Janith Perera became the fourth victim at 100 on the last ball of the 12^th over for 64 off 44 balls with 4 grand sixes and 5 fours. The skipper of Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews and Jeevan Mendis got together at the crease and kept on running the score board. The 17^th over bowled by Abdur Razzak was the most expensive since he gave away 20 runs with two back to back sixes from Mendis. Jeevan Mendis added another 10 runs with 1 six and 1 four in the following over but his stumps were uprooted by Rubel Hossain for 37 off 17 mere deliveries with 3 mighty sixes and 2 fours.

The fifth wicket fell at 166 runs in 17.5 overs as Thisara Perera hit 22 quick fired runs from just 7 balls comprising 2 huge sixes and even fours while securing his end. Angelo Mathews remained unbeaten for 30 from 27 with just one four as the hosts piled up 198 runs for the loss of five wickets at the end of the 20^th over.

Rubel Hossain, Sohag Gazi, Abdur Razzak and Mahmudullah were the only successful bowlers with one wicket each.

Mohammad Ashraful took off nicely for Bangladesh by hitting 2 fours in the first over but his partner Shamsur Rahman was declared leg before wicket off Angelo Mathews on the last ball for a duck. Jahurul Islam added a couple of fours on the first two deliveries of the third over but his wood was broken by Mathews on the last delivery for 11. Mushfiqur Rahim joined in next with Ashraful who accumulated 16 runs in 3 balls of the 8^th over with 2 lofty sixes and 1 four as Thisara Perera claimed his wicket for 43 from just 27 balls with 2 sixes and 4 fours.

Nasir Hossain went out cheaply for 8 runs as Mahmudullah associated with Mushfiqur Rahim next. The duo steadied the innings and added 17 runs in the 13^th over with 1 six and 2 fours whereas Mahmudullah got another four in the next over. They took the score to 135 in 14.4 overs when Mushfiqur Rahim was gone for 39 off 29 with 1 six and 3 fours. Mahmudullah followed him two runs later for 31 from just 18 balls that comprised 1 six and 3 fours as Mominul Haque played a brisk innings of unbeaten 26 from 16 balls with 1 six and 2 fours. Bangladesh fought hard but managed 181 runs with three wickets remaining in 20 overs.

Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera were the top wicket takers with two each whereas Lasith Malinga and Sachithra Senanayake shared one wicket each.

Sri Lanka clinched the entertaining Twenty20 encounter with a margin of 17 runs.