Sri Lanka produced a brutal exhibition of T20 batting at Pallekele, piling up a commanding 225 for 5 after being put in by Oman, leaving the Group B contest heavily tilted in their favour at the innings break.
On a surface that rewarded intent and timing, Sri Lanka’s innings gathered pace relentlessly, before exploding in the final five overs where they plundered 79 runs for just two wickets, pushing the run rate to a daunting 11.25.
The start was brisk rather than explosive. Pathum Nissanka showed early intent with a couple of crisp boundaries before being trapped lbw by Sufyan Mehmood, while Kamil Mishara’s cameo ended swiftly when Jay Odedra struck in his lone over. At 42 for 2, Oman briefly sensed an opening.
That hope was swiftly extinguished by Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake, who stitched together the defining partnership of the innings. Mendis, all elegance and control, anchored the innings with a polished 61 off 45 balls, threading the gaps and rotating strike with authority. Rathnayake, at the other end, played the role of accelerator superbly, launching a fearless assault that brought up a sparkling 50 off just 24 deliveries, his 60 from 28 balls reshaping the tempo of the match.
The stand carried Sri Lanka past 100 inside 11 overs and to 136 by the second drinks break, by which stage Oman’s bowlers were operating largely in damage-control mode. Rathnayake’s dismissal at 136 did little to slow the momentum.
Enter Dasun Shanaka.
The Sri Lankan captain unleashed a ferocious late onslaught, muscling 50 off 20 balls, including five towering sixes, and turning a strong total into a potentially match-winning one. His 19-ball half-century sucked the oxygen out of Oman’s plans, particularly punishing anything marginally short or full.
Kamindu Mendis provided the finishing touches with a blistering 19 not out off 7 balls, while Dunith Wellalage chipped in at the death as Sri Lanka crossed the 200 mark in the 19th over and surged to 225.
For Oman, Jiten Ramanandi was the most effective with 2 for 41, but several others leaked runs at alarming rates, Sufyan Mehmood conceding 60 from his four overs.
With a win probability of 89.10% in Sri Lanka’s favour, Oman now face a monumental chase under lights against a Sri Lankan attack brimming with variety and confidence.
