Shanto has never played such a stressful match before

Chasing a target of 125 in 120 balls, Bangladesh managed to secure a narrow victory against Sri Lanka in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup. Despite the seemingly straightforward target, the match turned out to be a tense affair, reflecting the fierce rivalry between the two teams. According to Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, this was the most pressure-filled game he has ever played. However, he expressed satisfaction with securing two crucial points in their first match, even though the batting performance was not up to the mark. Shanto attributed this to the pressure of the game.

The rivalry between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is always charged with excitement, reminiscent of the famous 'Nagin Dance' celebration during the Nidahas Trophy. The intense competition between the two teams once again took center stage on the World Cup platform.

In the post-match press conference, when asked if this was the most tense match of his career, Bangladesh captain Shanto said:

"It can be said so. It felt that way to me even before the game started. We knew two days in advance how important this match was. Personally, I felt I hadn't played such a pressure-filled match before. At the end of the day, we managed to win. Alhamdulillah."

"We all knew how important this match was. We didn't start well with the bowling. However, the way everyone remained calm, the way the bowlers made decisions in the middle overs, and the fielders too. Everyone showed great character. But the batting wasn't good. However, in such pitches or pressure games, this happens. It was also a very important match for them. They tried hard too. At the end of the day, we got two points, which feels good."

In their first World Cup match, Sri Lanka was all out for 77 runs, reeling from a humiliating defeat to South Africa. Their mission was to bounce back, but they fell short, losing to Bangladesh by two wickets and are now almost out of the World Cup. In contrast, Bangladesh has kept their Super Eight dreams alive with this hard-fought victory.