BAN vs SL: ODI Series – Top five performers from Bangladesh’s series victory
Bangladesh created history as they defeated Sri Lanka 2-1 in the three-match home series, to clinch their first-ever ODI series against the Asia rivals. While the visitors managed to win the last game by 97 runs to finish the series on a high, the first two fixtures went barely their way. On that note, here are the top performers from the series –
5. Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Bangladesh)
Mehidy Hasan finished the series as the second-highest wicket-taker, bagging seven wickets from three games at an average and strike rate of 15.14 and 25.7. He claimed a four-wicket haul in the first game (4/30) and followed that by a three-wicket haul in the second (3/28). In the last fixture, however, Miraz went for 48 runs in a wicketless spell.
4. Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka’s newly appointed skipper scored a match-winning century in the final game to avoid an embarrassing clean-sweep loss. Perera’s brilliant 120-run knock included 11 fours and a six, while he finished the series as the second-highest run-scorer, after Mushfiqur Rahim, scoring 164 runs at an average and strike rate of 54.66 and 87.70.
3. Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka)
Dushmantha Chameera bagged a match-winning fifer in the third ODI, rattling Bangladesh early and finishing with 5/16 in his nine overs. Overall, in the series, he bagged 9 wickets at a brilliant average and strike rate of 11 and 17.40, finishing as the leading wicket-taker. His effort ensured that Sri Lanka did not go down 3-0 in the series.
2. Mahmudullah (Bangladesh)
Mahmudullah was in brilliant form in a series where run-scoring was not the easiest. His scores across the three matches read 54, 41 and 53 as he finished as the third-highest run-scorer with 148 runs at an impressive average of 49.33. Mahmudullah bailed out his team with critical partnerships in the first two games, and even in the final ODI, he battled with a half-century after Bangladesh was rocked early, however, his efforts went in vain.
1. Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh)
The Player of the Series, Mushfiqur Rahim was easily the best batter in the two sides, finishing with 237 runs from three matches at a whopping average of 79, including not one but two match-winning knocks. Rahim notched up a valiant half-century (84 from 87) in the first ODI to pull his team out of trouble, and he played the exact same role in the second ODI when he scored his 8th ODI ton (125 from 127) that played a crucial role in Bangladesh sealing the series at the earliest moment.
