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When Bangladesh & Sri Lanka Captains Called Each Other Friends Before The 'Time-Out Saga'

image-looe3z16Angelo Mathews gestures 'time-out' to Shakib Al Hasan (x.com)

Bangladesh gatecrashed Sri Lanka’s World Cup 2023 semi-final chances by upstaging them with a significant margin in Delhi on November 6. As has been a history between the two sides over the past few years, the match unfolded its share of drama for the spectators, considering the proceedings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium were marred with numerous verbal face-offs and a certain controversial mode of dismissal that has already divided the cricketing fraternity.

Interestingly, during a captain’s meet prior to the tournament, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan and regular Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka described each other as “friends” while having a candid chat on stage with Indian commentator Ravi Shastri.


Shakib Al Hasan describes SL players as his “friends”

Sharing one of the most intense white-ball rivalries in competitive cricket, the World Cup 2023 showdown between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was touted as one of the matches to look out for in the backend of the competition.

The proceedings, as panned out in Delhi, justified the reputation as players from both camps were spotted engaging in some intense heated exchanges with each other. Moreover, during the Sri Lankan innings upfront, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan “timed out” Angelo Mathews for arriving late to the crease, thus marking the first such dismissal in international cricket.

Notably, Shakib and regular Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka had fondly described each other as “friends” while chatting with Ravi Shastri during a pre-World Cup 2023 captain’s meet event in Ahmedabad.

Regardless, both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been crashed out of the World Cup 2023 semi-final race, having sustained a string of convincing defeats upfront in their campaign.

The two teams still have a game left in the competition, and a win in their respective fixtures will strengthen their chances of booking a berth at the 2025 Champions Trophy.