Sri Lanka’s win over India has thrown Group B wide open with all four teams on two points with each side having one fixture left to play.
Here, we look at three important moments from the match.
Sri Lanka’s daring chase was in danger of getting derailed when Kusal Perera hobbled off the field with a hamstring injury.
Perera had slammed 47 off 44 balls during an entertaining 75-run partnership with captain Angelo Mathews. But with Sri Lanka needing 51 from 42 balls, there was still a lot to be done.
Asela Gunaratne came in and smashed a superb 34 not out off 21 balls, keeping in with the Sri Lankan batting brilliance during the day. The highlight of the No.6 batsman’s innings was a mighty six that he hit over square leg off Jasprit Bumrah.
In all, he hit two fours and two sixes to put on a 51-run alliance with Mathews in just 5.4 overs.
Amazing. It mean a lot to the team. So proud watching from the com box. Captain fantastic+army man+young genius+injury sub=victory
— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) June 8, 2017
It was a phase when the Sri Lankans were slowly gaining control of the proceedings while chasing a daunting target set by the Indian batsmen.
Hardik Pandya had done well conceding just three in his opening over but in his second he dropped a tough return catch from Kusal Mendis. The batsman drove up to the bowler who got both hands to the ball but failed to latch on to it.
The Sri Lankan score then was 70-1 with the batsman on 24. Mendis made India pay for the lapse as he went on to score 89 and helped Sri Lanka lay the platform for an incredible chase.
Almost all teams by now know that Virat Kohli is most vulnerable to fast bowlers early in his innings. So no sooner than India had lost their first wicket, Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews threw the ball to fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep.
The right-arm pacer justified the faith shown in him by bowling an away going delivery that bounced a bit more than Kohli anticipated and the Indian captain ended up edging the ball to the wicketkeeper.
It was a big scalp as everybody knows the damage Kohli can inflict especially on the back of a huge partnership by the Indian openers.
