Watch - Shoriful Islam's 'timed-out' celebration reignites old tensions between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are currently engaged in a thrilling three-match series at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet. In the ongoing first match, Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam exhibited more than just his exceptional bowling skills. This encounter not only witnessed an intense battle on the field but also featured a unique celebration that added fuel to the already simmering rivalry.

Shoriful's moment in the spotlight unfolded when he successfully dismissed Sri Lankan batter Avishka Fernando, limiting him to just four runs. The paceman's delivery, perfectly pitched outside off, took an edge that Litton Das securely caught. However, Shoriful's celebration stole the show, reminiscent of the controversial 'timed-out' incident during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Angelo Mathews's unfortunate timed-out dismissal

Going back to the ODI World Cup 2023, tensions between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh escalated during the mega event when Angelo Mathews became the first player in cricket history to be timed out. That incident sparked a significant controversy as Bangladesh skipper Shakib al Hasan stood firm on his appeal, leading to verbal exchanges between the teams. Shoriful's celebration seemed like a pointed jab at Mathews, reigniting the fiery exchange of words and emotions between the two teams.

Coming back to the ongoing match, Sri Lanka were asked to bat first as Bangladeshi captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bowl. Sri Lanka had a shaky start as opener Avishka was dismissed cheaply, but the rest of the batters showcased their batting prowess, propelling Sri Lanka to a substantial score.

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Notable contributions came from Sadeera Samarawickrama and wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis, who both scored 61 and 59, respectively. A brilliant 21-ball 44 by captain Charith Asalanka, featuring six huge sixes, propelled Sri Lanka to 206 for three in their allocated 20 overs.

For Bangladesh, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, and Rishad Hossain each took one wicket, but they struggled to contain the run flow, especially towards the end of the Sri Lankan batting innings.