Bangladesh narrowly missed out on the top spot in Group B of the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup after a 7-run defeat to Sri Lanka in their final group-stage match in Dubai on Tuesday.
With this victory, Sri Lanka emerged as group champions, securing a spot in the semifinals alongside Bangladesh, who advanced as runners-up.
Sri Lanka batted first at the Dubai International Stadium after winning the toss but their innings was cut short at 228 runs, thanks to a dominant performance by Bangladeshi pacers Al Fahad and Rizan Hossain. Al Fahad claimed 4 wickets for 50 runs, while Rizan took 3, keeping the Sri Lankan batting lineup under pressure.
However, Vimath Dinsara's stellar century (106 runs) carried Sri Lanka past the 200-run mark before he was dismissed as the final batter.
Chasing a target of 229, Bangladesh remained competitive throughout the match, driven by Kalam Siddique's impressive knock of 95 runs.
Despite Siddique's efforts, the team faltered in the closing stages, needing 24 runs from the final four overs. Farid Hasan contributed an unbeaten 24 runs off 29 balls, but his late effort wasn't enough to secure victory.
Bangladesh now faces the challenge of meeting the Group A champions in the semifinals, with Pakistan likely to be their opponent.
