T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka knock wind out of Oman’s sails

Sri Lanka produced a dominant all-round performance to crush Oman by 105 runs in Pallekele. Sri Lanka posted 225/5, their second-highest total in T20 World Cup history, before bundling the chase out of contention long before the finish.

After Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka fell inside the Powerplay, Kusal Mendis took charge with a fluent 61 off 45 balls. He anchored the innings, threading seven boundaries and ensuring momentum never dipped.



Sri Lanka’s real acceleration came in the middle overs. Pavan Rathnayake blazed 60 from 28 deliveries, peppering eight fours and a six. Captain Dasun Shanaka then delivered a sensational cameo, a 20-ball 50 (2x4, 5x6), the quickest T20I half-century by a Sri Lankan. By the time he departed in the 19th over, Oman’s bowlers were reeling.

Kamindu Mendis applied the finishing gloss with an unbeaten 19 from seven as Sri Lanka surged past the 220-run mark. For Oman, left-arm quick Shah Faisal briefly impressed, conceding just 11 from his first three overs before an expensive final over distorted otherwise tidy figures.

In response, Oman’s innings never gained momentum. Aamir Kaleem and captain Jatinder Singh fell inside the first over, and the innings struggled to recover from 12/2. Dushmantha Chameera’s (2/19) pace and Maheesh Theekshana’s guile – the spinner returning with figures of 2/11– ensured Oman remained pinned.

Wasim Ali’s 27 offered fleeting resistance, but wickets fell in clusters. Mohammad Nadeem stood firm with an unbeaten 53 off 56 balls.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 225/5 (Mendis 61, Rathnayake 60) beat Oman 120/9 (Nadeem 53*, Theekshana 2-11, Chameera 2-19) by 105 runs.


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