In a thrilling encounter at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka posted a formidable 225 for 5 against Oman in a T20 match, thanks to captain Dasun Shanaka’s blistering record-breaking half-century. Oman won the toss and elected to bowl first, putting immediate pressure on the hosts.
Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a shaky start, losing openers Nishanka and Kamil Mishara with just 42 runs on the board. But wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake steadied the ship with a fiery 94-run stand off 50 balls for the third wicket. Rathnayake fell for a quickfire 60 off 28 balls, smashing 8 fours and a six.
Enter captain Dasun Shanaka at number five. The skipper unleashed mayhem, smashing the fastest T20I fifty for Sri Lanka off just 19 balls – featuring 5 sixes and 2 fours. He added 63 runs for the fourth wicket with Mendis before perishing on the very next delivery after reaching his milestone. This effort eclipsed his own previous record of a 20-ball fifty against India in Pune in 2023.
Kusal Mendis anchored the innings with a composed 61 off 45 balls, including 7 fours, before departing. Kamindu Mendis (19 off 7) and Dunith Wellalage (6 off 4) remained unbeaten to guide Sri Lanka to a massive total. Oman now faces a daunting chase of 226 to pull off an upset.