By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Pathum Nissanka produced one of his finest T20I innings, hammering an unbeaten 98 to steer Sri Lanka to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the T20I Tri-Series at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
Chasing 147, Sri Lanka controlled the match from the opening over, with Nissanka dictating the tempo in a fluent display of power and placement. The right-hander struck 11 fours and four sixes in his 58-ball effort, falling just short of a second T20I hundred but sealing a dominant win that came with more than three overs to spare.
Zimbabwe’s defence began on the back foot as Sri Lanka sped to 50 in 4.4 overs, aided by errant bowling that contributed 10 wides during the powerplay. Nissanka attacked both pace and spin, cutting and driving crisply against Richard Ngarava and Tinotenda Maposa before launching a series of lofted blows once the field spread.
Kamil Mishara, returning to the top order, made 12 before falling to Brad Evans at deep square leg. His dismissal at 59 for one did little to halt Sri Lanka’s momentum. Kusal Mendis joined Nissanka and the pair added an unbroken 89 runs for the second wicket, rotating strike and punishing short deliveries as Zimbabwe struggled to regain control.
Mendis finished on 25 not out from 25 deliveries, content to play second fiddle as Nissanka dominated the chase and sealed victory in 16.2 overs.
Earlier, Zimbabwe posted 146 for five after electing to bat. Their innings began shakily as Tadiwanashe Marumani and Dion Myers departed inside three overs to off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who extracted sharp turn and finished with figures of 2–23.
Brian Bennett and veteran wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor attempted to steady the innings, adding 36 for the third wicket, but Taylor’s dismissal to Dasun Shanaka at 53 for three stalled momentum.
Zimbabwe’s best phase came through captain Sikandar Raza and Bennett, who combined aggression with smart placement. Bennett, who top-scored in the powerplay, eventually fell for 34 to a Hasaranga googly, while Raza battled to 37 from 29 balls before holing out in the deep.
Ryan Burl provided late impetus, striking 37 not out from 26 balls, but Sri Lanka’s spinners ensured Zimbabwe could only muster a below-par total on a good batting surface. Hasaranga matched Theekshana with 2–23, while Shanaka chipped in with one wicket.
The victory handed Sri Lanka two valuable points and reinforced their form heading toward the tournament’s final stages. For Zimbabwe, the defeat exposed familiar issues: inconsistent bowling, costly extras, and a lack of penetrative pace options in the absence of senior seamer Blessing Muzarabani.
Nissanka, named Player of the Match, said he was pleased to convert his recent form into a match-winning contribution.
“I tried to keep it simple and play my strengths. Once I got used to the pace of the wicket, the boundaries came naturally,” he said.
Sri Lanka face hosts Pakistan next, while Zimbabwe must win their remaining fixtures to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
Summarised score:
Zimbabwe – 146/5 (20 overs); Sikandar Raza 37 (29), Brian Bennett 34 (26), Ryan Burl 37* (26), Theekshana 4–0–23–2, Hasaranga 4–0–23–2, Sri Lanka – 148-1 (16.2 overs); Pathum Nissanka 98* (58), Kamil Mishara 12 (15), Kusal Mendis 25* (25), Brad Evans 4–0–36–1,
Result: Sri Lanka won by nine wickets.
Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka (SL), Points: Sri Lanka 2, Zimbabwe 0
