Sri Lanka continued their strong start to the T20 World Cup with a commanding 105-run victory over Oman on Thursday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium near Kandy in Sri Lanka, moving to the top of the Group B points table.
Batting first after being put in, Sri Lanka recovered from early setbacks to post a formidable 225/5 in 20 overs. Opener Pathum Nissanka departed early, leaving the hosts at 42/2, but Pavan Rathnayake and Kusal Mendis stabilised the innings with a fluent partnership.
Rathnayake counterattacked with a series of boundaries to shift the momentum, while Mendis provided steady acceleration. Rathnayake brought up his half-century before being dismissed, and Mendis followed with a well-crafted 61.
Sri Lanka’s innings gathered significant pace in the latter half, led by Dasun Shanaka’s explosive cameo. Shanaka smashed five sixes and two boundaries to reach a 19-ball half-century — the fastest by a Sri Lankan in T20 Internationals. Kamindu Mendis added late runs with a pair of sixes as Sri Lanka surged past the 220 mark.
Chasing a daunting target of 226, Oman struggled to gain early momentum. Dushmantha Chameera and Maheesh Theekshana struck in the PowerPlay, reducing Oman to 36/3 with their top-order batters falling for single-digit scores.
Mohammad Nadeem attempted to anchor the chase, compiling an unbeaten 53, while Wasim Ali contributed briefly during a 42-run middle-order stand. However, the required rate continued to climb as Sri Lanka’s bowlers maintained tight control.
A controversial caught-behind decision against Wasim Ali triggered a collapse, with Oman losing four wickets in quick succession, including two run-outs. Nadeem’s resistance ensured Oman batted through their 20 overs but they were restricted to 120/9.
Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling performance was led by Theekshana (2/11) and Chameera (2/19), sealing a comprehensive win. With their second successive victory, Sri Lanka strengthened their position at the top of Group B, while Oman were left searching for their first win of the tournament.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 225/5 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 61, Pavan Rathnayake 60, Dasun Shanaka 50; Jiten Ramanandi 2/41) beat Oman 120/9 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nadeem 53*; Maheesh Theekshana 2/11, Dushmantha Chameera 2/19) by 105 runs
