Sri Lanka pulled off a shocking 8-wicket victory over Australia at Pallekele in T20 World Cup 2026, driven by Pathum Nissanka’s unbeaten 100 from 52 deliveries—complete with 10 boundaries and 5 maximums. In doing so, he etched his name as the first to hit a T20 World Cup ton against Australia, outdoing Pakistan’s Umar Akmal’s 94 in 2014.
This propelled Nissanka into a shared lead for Sri Lanka’s best T20 World Cup knock, matching Mahela Jayawardene’s 100 against Zimbabwe (2010). Jayawardene’s 98* vs West Indies and Dilshan’s 96* vs the same opposition round out the top efforts.
Nissanka’s acceleration to three figures in 52 balls mirrored his 2025 Dubai exploit against India. He’s now the second-fastest Sri Lankan to a T20I hundred by balls, behind Perera’s record 44 against New Zealand.
Australia’s 181 was built on Marsh-Head’s century alliance (54 and 56). Sri Lanka overhauled it in just 18 overs, Mendis chipping in with 51 alongside Nissanka’s dominance.
It’s Sri Lanka’s third World Cup conquest of Australia: the unforgettable 1996 ODI final, 2009 T20 win, and now this. Nissanka’s boundary barrage has not only secured points but rewritten record books, boosting Lanka’s title aspirations.