T20 World Cup 2021: [Watch] Lahiru Kumara and Liton Das have ugly spat after pacer sends opener packing
Matches between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka often produce heated moments, and it was no different when the two subcontinent teams squared off in their first 2021 T20 World Cup Super 12s match.
Lahiru Kumara had been taken for eight runs in his first over, but came back strong in the second to have Liton Das caught at mid-off.
It was then that Kumara and Das got into a confrontation, with the two having an exchange of words and an angry stare-off. There was some pushing and shoving involved as well.
The umpires, Sri Lanka players and the other Bangladesh opener, Mohammad Naim, eventually had to separate the two to prevent the situation from escalating.
Watch their spat here:
Tensions had begun to soar in Kumara's previous over. After Naim nudged his final delivery back towards him, Kumara picked up the and immediately threw it back at the Bangladesh opener at head height as he had strayed forward from the crease very slightly.
Naim had to duck out of the way to avoid Kumara's fierce throw, which wicketkeeper Kusal Perera did well to stop from going for four overthrows.
T20 World Cup: Lahiru Kumara gives Sri Lanka first breakthrough
After Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to field in their T20 World Cup Super 12 clash, Bangladesh openers got off to a steady start before Lahiru Kumara's struck to send Liton Das back to the dugout.
Das tried to back away and hit Kumara inside-out, but was caught at mid-off by the Sri Lanka skipper.
Bangladesh got another breakthrough soon after, with fellow pacer Chamika Karunaratne beating Shakib al Hasan with a length ball that stayed low to clatter his stumps.
However, Naim and Mushfiqur Rahim kept the Tigers ticking, with the left-handed opener scoring his fourth T20 International (T20I) half-century.
Bangladesh were 107/2 after 14 overs at the time of writing.
This is the the third match of the T20 World Cup Super 12 stage. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh qualified from the Group Stage, which concluded on Friday.
Sri Lanka had finished on top of Group A, while Bangladesh were second in Group B.
In Group 1 in the Super 12 stage, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are pitted together with England, Australia, South Africa and defending champions West Indies.
Bangladesh are looking to win their maiden T20 World Cup title, while Sri Lanka have won it once.