Mahedi Hasan played a key role in helping Bangladesh complete a 2-1 T20I series win against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday. The Bangladesh off spin bowler took a career best 4-11, helping his side restrict Sri Lanka to 132/7 after the hosts won the toss, opted to bat. Bangladesh in response chased down the total with 21 balls to spare and won the match by seven wickets. Tanzid Hasan Tamim inflicted the blow with the bat, hammering an unbeaten 73 off 47 balls, featuring one boundary and six maximums.
Meanwhile, Mahedi, who was named the Player of the Match, also broke former India spinner Harbhajan Singh's record. After Sri Lanka started the innings aggressively scoring 14 runs in the first over, Bangladesh fast bowler Shoriful Islam dismissed in-form batter Kusal Mendis (6) in the last ball of the over having him caught at deep-square-leg by Towhid Hridoy.
Mahedi then dismissed Kusal Perera in the second over. The batter was dismissed for a golden duck, handing a catch to Tanzid at slip. Dinesh Chandimal also failed, being dismissed for 4 runs trying an aggressive shot against Mehedi to be caught by Jaker Ali. Asalanka (3) was stuck on the crease and played the wrong line against Mehedi and was bowled. Mehedi caught Pathum Nissanka, the top scorer for Sri Lanka with 46 runs, off his own bowling.
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In the process, Mahedi bettered his previous best bowling figures of 4-13 against the West Indies. His efforts also saw him overtake Harbhajan to become the visiting bowler with the best figures in a T20I match at the R Premadasa Stadium, the venue of the contest.
Harbhajan had achieved the feat at the 2012 T20 World Cup, during which he gave only 12 runs and scalped four wickets. The "Turbanator" also held the record for best figures among any bowlers at the venue, until Wanindu Hasaranga shattered it with 4/9 in 2021 series.
Meanwhile, bowlers such as Josh Hazlewood (4-16) and Mustafizur Rahman (4-21) did put Harbhajan's record under threat for visiting players but it was Mahedi, who eventually broke it.
"I know the wickets in Sri Lanka, the ball was spinning in the last two games so I stuck to my lines and lengths. The new ball had a bit of spin so I tried to land it in good areas and luckily, I was successful," Mahedi said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
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