Sri Lanka delivered a dominant performance in Pallekele, thrashing Oman by 105 runs in one of the most one-sided matches of the T20 World Cup so far. A blazing middle-order display propelled Sri Lanka to 225 for 5 — the highest total of this tournament and their second-highest in T20 World Cup history — before their bowlers wrapped up Oman for just 120 for 9.
Kusal Mendis led the charge with a fluent 61, Pavan Rathnayake hammered a quickfire 60 off 28 balls, and captain Dasun Shanaka stole the spotlight with Sri Lanka’s fastest-ever T20I half-century, reaching fifty in just 19 balls.
Oman struck early when Jay Odedra dismissed Kamil Mishara, but that breakthrough barely slowed Sri Lanka’s momentum. Pathum Nissanka fell in the sixth over to Sufyan Mehmood, yet Sri Lanka still collected 16 runs from that over. From there, Mendis ensured the run rate never dipped, building the perfect platform for an explosive finish.
The real carnage unfolded in the final five overs. Shanaka, who started cautiously with just seven runs off his first seven deliveries, suddenly shifted gears. He smashed 12 runs in no time to reach his record-breaking half-century, surpassing his own previous Sri Lankan record. His assault included a six and a four off Jiten Ramanandi, followed by brutal overs against Nadeem Khan and Sufyan Mehmood. Sri Lanka plundered 79 runs in the last five overs — the highest death-over total in this World Cup so far.
Theekshana Leads Clinical Bowling Display as Oman Struggle in Chase
Chasing 226 was always going to be a daunting task for Oman, and things quickly went from difficult to impossible. Dushmantha Chameera struck with the very first ball, removing Jatinder Singh. Oman managed only 36 runs in the powerplay while losing three wickets, effectively ending any realistic hopes of a comeback.
Maheesh Theekshana was exceptional with the ball. Coming into the tournament after Wanindu Hasaranga’s injury ruled him out, Theekshana stepped up as Sri Lanka’s senior spinner. He made an immediate impact, dismissing Aamir Kaleem with his first ball and conceding just three runs in that over. Throughout his four-over spell, he maintained relentless control, finishing with remarkable figures of 2 for 11 — the most economical four-over spell of this T20 World Cup.
Whenever Oman attempted to rebuild, Theekshana returned to break partnerships. After Wasim Ali struck two sixes in the 11th over, Theekshana responded by having him caught behind. He capped off his spell with a miserly one-run over, underlining his dominance.
Oman eventually limped to 120 for 9, with Mohammad Nadeem’s unbeaten 53 providing the only resistance. His knock made him the oldest half-centurion in men’s T20 World Cup history, but it was little more than a consolation in an otherwise overwhelming Sri Lankan victory.
