Just two overs after reaching his second century of the match, Najmul Hossain Shanto declared Bangladesh’s second innings. In those final overs, he struck three sixes, pushing Bangladesh’s lead close to 300.
On the fifth and final day, Bangladesh declared their second innings at 285 for 6, setting Sri Lanka a target of 296 runs to chase. The hosts have at least 37 overs to attempt the run chase.
At the time of the declaration, Shanto remained unbeaten on 125 off 199 deliveries, laced with nine fours and three sixes. Nayeem Hasan was at the crease with 7 runs off 23 balls.
With this feat, Shanto became the second Bangladeshi and the first Bangladesh captain to score twin centuries in a Test match.
Shanto’s Twin Tons and Records
After scoring 148 in the first innings, Najmul Hossain Shanto reached triple figures again in the second—making him the first Bangladeshi batter to record centuries in both innings of a Test match on two separate occasions.
He previously achieved this rare feat against Afghanistan in 2023. Among Bangladeshis, only Mominul Haque had done it once before, in 2018 against Sri Lanka.
Shanto is now the 14th player in the world to score twin centuries in more than one Test. Legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting, and David Warner have each done it three times.
This also marks Shanto’s first twin century performance as captain, making him the 16th player in Test history to do so while leading the side.
He’s now the eighth captain to achieve this away from home—and the first ever to do so on Sri Lankan soil.
Another Shanto Special
Shanto celebrated his second century with flair—racing for a single after a reverse sweep off Tharindu Ratnayake and taking off his helmet mid-pitch to celebrate back-to-back centuries in style.
He reached the milestone off 190 balls, striking nine boundaries along the way. This is his seventh Test hundred in 36 matches. Among Bangladesh batters, only Mominul Haque (13), Mushfiqur Rahim (12), and Tamim Iqbal (10) have scored more.
So far, Shanto has amassed 248 runs in this match—now the highest by a Bangladesh captain in a Test. He surpassed Mushfiqur Rahim’s 200-run record set in 2013 against Sri Lanka.
Brief Scores
Bangladesh 1st Innings: 495
Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 485
Bangladesh 2nd Innings: 285/6 declared in 87 overs
(Shanto 125, Mushfiq 49, Litton 3, Zakir 2, Nayeem 7*; Asitha 0/31, Jayasuriya 1/92, T. Ratnayake 1/102, M. Ratnayake 1/26)*
