T20 World Cup 2026: A quiet man’s loud hundred — On the night Nissanka carried Sri Lanka

When Pathum Nissanka walked into the press room and perched himself behind the mic, there was no sign of jubilation on his face. Amid the cacophony of fans celebrating as they streamed towards the exit gates, the 27-year-old sat silently in front of those gathered, almost as if what he had accomplished 20 minutes earlier wasn’t that big a deal. It was, after all, only a matter of scoring a hundred in a 182-run chase against Australia in front of an adoring home crowd.

Nissanka, unsurprisingly, drew the biggest reactions from the full house at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. His first contribution, however, brought a gasp rather than a cheer. He put down a simple catch off Glenn Maxwell just as Sri Lanka was clawing its way back after Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head’s explosive start.

He didn’t have to wait long to break the silence. Moments later, he leapt at backward point and pouched a ball a metre above and wide of his left shoulder, drawing raucous applause. “After dropping that catch, I felt really worried as it was a good wicket to take. In my mind, I thought that I should do something for the team. I knew he would play a reverse sweep. I just kept that in my head and was lucky to take that catch,” Nissanka told reporters after the game.

Moments after a dropped catch, he leapt at backward point and pouched a ball a metre above and wide of his left shoulder, drawing raucous applause.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

The deafening cheers and the piercing sound of bugles were only a teaser of what was to come when he walked out to bat in the chase. Sri Lanka was pegged back early with the loss of Kusal Perera, leaving Nissanka and the in-form Kusal Mendis to steady the chase. “After the first dismissal, Kusal [Mendis] and I had a plan and wanted to finish a good PowerPlay. He had a good start, so it was easy for me to continue my innings,” the opener said.

Midway through the chase, Sri Lanka was 17 runs behind Australia but well into the pursuit. This was where it slipped away from the Aussies. Wickets fell regularly thereafter, and Nissanka reckoned they would finish around 20 to 30 runs short. He and Mendis ensured they stayed away from the same trap. “We planned to bat normally for around 12 overs. The runs were coming, and so neither of us had to take any risks,” Nissanka explained.

Australian skipper Marsh doffed his hat to the way Nissanka batted through that phase. “We didn’t have many answers for him. I don’t think there was much dew. I’m not sure if the wicket got better [in the second innings], I didn’t feel that way. In these conditions, partnerships are incredibly important and that was the difference,” he suggested.

With 61 needed from 36 balls, and with Mendis back in the dugout, Nissanka still had work to do. What followed felt almost like a trance. He scored 28 runs off his next 11 balls in what seemed like five minutes. The decibel levels spiked with each passing delivery, eventually reaching a peak as Nissanka completed his century and led Sri Lanka to its third consecutive home win. “When a crowd like this comes and supports, we also get a lot of energy. I’m thankful for everyone who came today and request them to come for every match,” he signed off.

Nissanka has long been earmarked as the future of Sri Lankan batting. But this innings might be the tipping point, the one that translates talent and promise into match-winner’s authority that could serve the Island nation for years to come.

Published on Feb 17, 2026