T20 World Cup 2026: Pathum Nissanka’s 100 Stuns Australia as Sri Lanka Chase Down 182

In front of a partying full house at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 16, 2026, Pathum Nissanka produced a match-winning unbeaten century — 100 off 52 balls — to guide Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket victory over Australia in the 30th Group B match of T20 World Cup 2026, sealing their passage to the Super Eights with 12 balls to spare. Kusal Mendis contributed a composed 51 not out as the pair combined for a 97-run second-wicket partnership that ultimately proved unanswerable.

Sri Lanka’s win leaves Australia on the brink of a stunning group-stage exit, needing a miracle in their remaining matches. Mitchell Marsh, returning to lead Australia in his first match of the tournament, and Travis Head had given the hosts massive problems — the pair smashing Australia to 104 in the first 50 legal deliveries — but Sri Lanka’s spinners and the spectacular Dushmantha Chameera checked Australia sharply through the middle and death.

Matheesha Pathirana, Sri Lanka’s primary death weapon, pulled up with a calf injury after just four legal deliveries, adding to the drama of a match that swung repeatedly before Nissanka’s clean-hitting in the final overs made it a one-sided conclusion. Head scored 56 and Marsh 54; both fell in the middle phase as Sri Lanka took 10 wickets for 77 off the last 70 balls. Dushan Hemantha claimed 3 for 37 and Chameera 2 for 36.

Match Summary

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl at Pallekele. Head and Marsh were immediately destructive in the powerplay, and Australia reached 104 from their first 50 legal deliveries in a blistering opening partnership. Pathirana’s calf injury after his fourth legal delivery left Sri Lanka scrambling for alternatives. Hemantha, Wellalage and Chameera gradually wrestled back control from the 10th over onward, picking up wickets at crucial junctures. Australia could manage only 77 runs in their last 70 balls, finishing with 181 all out.

In Sri Lanka’s chase, Marcus Stoinis removed Kusal Perera in the first over with a change of pace, but Nissanka dominated the powerplay with 38 off 20. The Nissanka-Kusal Mendis stand of 97 off the second wicket was the centrepiece of the chase, and Stoinis ended it in the 13th over. Nissanka, then on 72, completed the chase with two overs to spare, finishing unbeaten on 100 with two sixes off Ellis and a boundary off Zampa in the final stretch.

Match Scorecard

Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka (100* off 52) Cricinfo’s MVP: Pathum Nissanka (125.95 pts) Venue: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele Date: February 16, 2026 Toss: Sri Lanka won; elected to bowl Context: Sri Lanka confirmed Super Eights; Australia need a miracle to progress; Marsh returned for Australia, replacing tournament’s highest run-scorer Matt Renshaw; Pathirana left field with calf injury after 4 legal deliveries; Nissanka emulates Jayawardene and Dilshan (third Sri Lankan to score T20 WC century)

First Innings: Australia’s Batting (181 all out in 20 Overs)

Marsh and Head Explode — Australia 104 in 50 Legal Deliveries

Mitchell Marsh returned to lead Australia in a bold team selection that saw him replace Matt Renshaw — the side’s highest run-scorer in the tournament — and immediately justified the call by batting with a power and finesse that had seemed absent from Australia’s earlier matches. Head, who had not scored a T20 fifty since the previous IPL season, matched him shot for shot. Marsh displayed particular elegance in waiting for the ball to arrive before punching Maheesh Theekshana’s offspin through covers off the back foot — he hit two out of five consecutive fours in this fashion. There was no respite from the short boundary either, as Head launched into Hemantha’s first over beyond the powerplay.

Pathirana’s calf injury, sustained after just four legal deliveries, left Sri Lanka without their most dangerous weapon at the death and forced an immediate rethink. The spinners would have to carry more of the load. Despite this, Australia reached 104 from their first 50 legal deliveries — a platform that should have set up 200-plus.

Hemantha and Wellalage Pull Back the Tide

Hemantha, facing ferocious hitting from Head, responded by tossing the ball up higher, trying to turn it big, refusing to go defensive. It ultimately worked. In the over after the hundred partnership had arrived in the ninth over, Hemantha lured Head into a catch at long-off — 20 runs off eight balls in that spell but the crucial breakthrough had been made. Sri Lanka had a door slightly ajar.

Cameron Green’s difficult tournament continued with 3 off 7, walking past a Dunith Wellalage delivery that straightened. When Marsh played back to a full ball from Hemantha in the 11th over, Sri Lanka suddenly had two open ends. The first ball Josh Inglis faced was a ripper from a spinner that turned from leg and past the bat, though Mendis missed the stumping — a moment that could have made Australia’s position even more precarious.

Australia were still 127 for 3 in 12 overs, with Tim David, Maxwell and Stoinis remaining. They held what appeared to be every advantage.

Everyone Chips In — Maxwell Dropped, Then Gone

Kamindu Mendis took over left-arm spin in the 13th over and removed Tim David, caught at long-off. Australia took a breather and Maxwell began to accelerate in the 15th over, taking 15 off Kamindu. The asking rate remained healthy, but then came the pivotal passage. Nissanka dropped a skier from Maxwell in the 16th — a chance that looked like it might cost Sri Lanka dearly — but redeemed himself memorably in the very same over when, at backward point, he leapt more than two metres in the air to intercept a Maxwell reverse sweep off Hemantha. The catch was dismissed by the on-field umpire but reinstated on review, and Maxwell was gone.

Chameera rose to the occasion with exceptional death bowling from around the wicket. A sharp bouncer removed Inglis — who had scored 27 off 21 since his first-ball reprieve — in the 17th over. Theekshana, despite a nightmare powerplay, returned to bowl the 19th over superbly: he had Connolly caught off a slog-sweep and bowled three dots at Xavier Bartlett. Chameera conceded a no-ball in the final over but still took the wicket of Stoinis with a slower legcutter, and only 21 runs came in the last four overs, just six from the final two. Australia finished with 181 all out — below what the Marsh-Head start had promised.

Australia Batting Performance

Australia: 104 in first 50 legal deliveries; 77 for 10 in last 70 balls

Sri Lanka Bowling Performance

Second Innings: Sri Lanka’s Chase (184/2 in 18 Overs)

Stoinis Strikes — but Nissanka Dominates the Powerplay

Marcus Stoinis opened the bowling alongside Bartlett, getting rid of Kusal Perera in the very first over with a change-of-pace delivery into the pitch — an early wicket that gave Australia momentary hope. However, Australia’s seamers showed they were not quite adept at bowling slower balls with the new ball, and Nissanka took full toll of the pace on offer from the first delivery.

He dominated the powerplay with 38 off 20 balls, not letting Connolly settle when he came on in the fifth over. Sri Lanka scored 61 in the powerplay with Nissanka driving the scoring.

Nissanka and Kusal Mendis Build the Match-Winning Partnership

One over of no boundaries immediately after the powerplay, and then Adam Zampa opened the floodgates with two long-hops bookending his first over. Mendis hit four fours in two overs of spin to go past Nissanka and become the first of the pair to reach his half-century.

Zampa, Nathan Ellis and Maxwell combined to bowl three consecutive boundary-free overs (10th, 11th, 12th), and then Stoinis returned in the 13th to remove Mendis — catching Sri Lanka needing 77 off 47 balls with Nissanka on 72.

Nissanka Finishes the Job

Any hope Australia harboured vanished quickly. Pavan Rathnayake came in and started with two fours off his first two balls — a check drive above cover and a dab past the diving wicketkeeper. Zampa put together a better over, but Nissanka charged at him and lofted him back over his head for six. In the next over, Nissanka punched Stoinis down the ground off the back foot for four, then pulled him dismissively for a six that sent the already celebrating crowd into raptures.

At 72 off 41 when 41 were needed off five, Nissanka now had Sri Lanka’s win in hand and chose to accelerate. He pumped Ellis for two sixes before finishing Zampa’s miserable night with 15 off the 18th over, completing his unbeaten century and bringing Sri Lanka home with two overs and two balls to spare.

Nissanka’s innings of 100 not out off 52 made him only the third Sri Lankan to score a T20 World Cup century, joining Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Sri Lanka Batting Performance

Sri Lanka Chase Progression

Match-Winning Performance: Pathum Nissanka

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