Pavan Rathnayake’s blistering 60 off 28 balls and Dasun Shanaka’s explosive 19-ball fifty powered Sri Lanka to a dominant 105-run victory over Oman in their Group B encounter at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
After Oman won the toss and opted to field, Sri Lanka overcame an early wobble to post a formidable 225/5, with Kusal Mendis contributing a steady 61. The total proved insurmountable for Oman, who were reduced to 10/2 inside two overs.
Despite a valiant maiden World Cup fifty from 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem (53* off 56 balls) and a brief cameo from Wasim Ali (27), Oman could only manage 120/9 in their 20 overs. Maheesh Theekshana’s economical 2-wicket spell and Dushmantha Chameera’s early breakthroughs sealed a comprehensive victory for the hosts.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Sri Lanka vs Oman, T20 World Cup, Group B |
| Venue | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium |
| Result | Sri Lanka won by 105 runs |
| Sri Lanka | 225/5 (20 overs) |
| Oman | 120/9 (20 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Pavan Rathnayake (60 off 28) |
| Toss | Oman won and chose to field |
First Innings Highlights
Sri Lanka endured a shaky start, losing both openers cheaply as Kamil Mishara (8) fell to Jay Odedra in the second over and Pathum Nissanka (13) was trapped LBW by Sufyan Mehmood.
The recovery was led by Kusal Mendis, who anchored the innings with a composed 61 off 45 balls, hitting 7 fours. Pavan Rathnayake provided the acceleration with a stunning 60 off just 28 balls (8 fours, 1 six), registering Sri Lanka’s second-fastest fifty in T20 World Cups.
Dasun Shanaka then unleashed carnage in the death overs, smashing the fastest-ever fifty by a Sri Lankan in T20Is, a blistering 50 off just 19 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes.
Kamindu Mendis added quick runs at the end with 19 off 7 balls, including two sixes in the final over. Jiten Ramanandi was the pick of Oman’s bowlers with 2 wickets, while Shah Faisal went wicketless but maintained economy.
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Kusal Mendis | 61 runs (45 balls, 7×4) |
| Best Bowler | Shah Faisal | 4-0-28-0 |
Second Innings Highlights
Oman’s chase got off to a disastrous start as Dushmantha Chameera struck in the very first over, dismissing Jatinder Singh for 1.
Maheesh Theekshana followed up in the second over, trapping Aamir Kaleem LBW for 6, leaving Oman reeling at 10/2. Hammad Mirza (9) fell to Chameera, and the required rate quickly spiraled out of control.
Wasim Ali provided brief resistance with an aggressive 27 off 20 balls, hitting three sixes off Dushan Hemantha before being caught behind off Theekshana. The only bright spot for Oman was veteran Mohammad Nadeem, who became the oldest player to score a fifty in T20 World Cup history at 43 years and 161 days.
His unbeaten 53 off 56 balls was a lone effort as wickets continued to tumble around him. Theekshana finished with excellent figures of 2-11, while the spinners collectively choked Oman’s scoring opportunities.
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Mohammad Nadeem | 53* runs (56 balls) |
| Best Bowler | Maheesh Theekshana | 4-0-11-2 |
