Here is how the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League points table looks like after BANvSL 1st ODI

Bangladesh cruised home rather comfortably against Sri Lanka in the opening ODI of the three-match series at Sher-e-Bangla stadium after the game was hit by a Covid scare earlier in the day. Opting to bat after winning the toss, Bangladesh lost Liton Das early as he recorded his fourth duck of the year.

Batting at no.3, Shakib Al Hasan could not stand for too long and walked back after a 34-ball 15, falling to Danushka Gunathilaka soon after the end of the powerplay. The hosts were severely dented in the 23rd over when Dhanajaya de Silva struck twice to remove both Tamim Iqbal, who scored a well-paced half-century, and Mohammad Mithun in the same over.

While the scoring slowed down as Bangladesh found itself 99/4 at the stroke of the halfway mark, Mushfiqur Rahim battled valiantly in the middle, without being deterred by any of what occurred around him. He was well-assisted by Mahmuduallah, who got a half-century of his own.

The duo stitched a 109-run fifth-wicket stand from 122 deliveries to rebuild the innings after the loss of a free-flowing Iqbal, and while Rahim looked in contention to get his 8th ODI century, he was denied that by a miscued reverse-sweep off Lakshan Sandakan, to fall on 84. Having gotten 54 from 76, Mahmudullah was undone by de Silva, who returned with three wickets, although some late acceleration from Afif Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin took the hosts to a competitive 257.

Sri Lanka stutter in the chase

Sri Lanka flew off the blocks quickly with Gunathilaka starting positively and exploiting the field restrictions smartly, although Mehidy Hasan cut short his fluent 21 with a return catch. Chasing a tricky target on a typically sluggish subcontinent track demanded a degree of caution, which Sri lacked in plenty, losing wickets in quick succession in the middle-overs.

Skipper Kusal Perera and his deputy Kusal Mendis added 41 for the third wicket after Mustafizur Rahman sent back Pathum Nissanka cheaply, but three wickets in quick time was exactly what Sri Lanka could not have afforded – Hasan Miraz accounted for Perera, de Silva, and Ashen Bandara, while Shakib chipped in with Mendis’ scalp to get to his 1000th wicket in professional cricket.

After the middle-order wobble, it came down to Wanindu Hasaranga, who counterattacked with a 60-ball 74, including five sixes and three boundaries, and Isuru Udana. The 62-run stand for the 8th wicket did give the hosts some worry for a brief while, but Bangladesh clawed their way back in with Saifuddin and Rahman striking on consecutive deliveries across two overs to remove Hasaranga and Udana. By then, the victory was all but a formality as Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead and 10 points in the Super League table. The two sides will meet at the same venue on 25th May.

Here is the updated ICC ODI Super League Points Table