Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka stole the show with an unbeaten century, steering his side to an emphatic eight-wicket rout of Australia in the T20 World Cup at Pallekele. The triumph catapults them into Super 8s, with Nissanka overjoyed at his match-winning contribution.
His 52-ball 100, laced with 15 fours and sixes, made light work of Australia’s 181. Sri Lanka romped home in 18 overs, thriving on a pitch that rewarded aggressive batting. As Player of the Match, Nissanka gushed, ‘Thrilled to play my natural game on this beauty of a wicket and deliver the win with a hundred.’
He broke down the chase: a powerplay foundation, followed by a match-defining alliance with Kusal Mendis. ‘We just needed to keep the momentum and seal it,’ he noted. Pallekele’s chasing-friendly nature shone through, with minimal dew and an improving track.
Touching on mindset, Nissanka revealed, ‘I hung in for balls in my wheelhouse and made them pay.’ The win extends Sri Lanka’s streak to three, including victories over Ireland (20 runs) and Oman (105 runs), crowning them Group B leaders with +2.462 NRR.
Australia stumbles to second place after two losses in three, NRR +0.414. Zimbabwe eyes Super 8s with two wins, joined by Ireland in the battle. Nissanka’s form promises fireworks ahead for the Lankans.