Pathum Nissanka of Sri Lanka has set a new record in men’s T20 International cricket by scoring the first century against Australia in a chase, surpassing Fakhar Zaman’s six-year-old record. His remarkable innings came during the T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match against Australia, helping Sri Lanka secure a spot in the Super Eights phase of the tournament.
Nissanka’s century is historic for several reasons. He is the first batter to score a hundred against Australia in a T20I chase, breaking Fakhar Zaman’s previous highest score of 91 runs made in 2018 at Harare. Additionally, Nissanka became only the second Sri Lankan to score a T20I century against Australia, following Tillakaratne Dilshan’s unbeaten 104 at Pallekele in 2011.
His innings also set a new benchmark in T20 World Cup history by surpassing Umar Akmal’s highest score of 94 against Australia in 2014. Nissanka is only the second Sri Lankan to achieve a T20 World Cup century, joining Mahela Jayawardene who scored a hundred against Zimbabwe in the 2010 tournament.
In the match, Australia started strongly, reaching 70 runs without loss in the powerplay with Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh attacking aggressively. Head reached his fifty in just 27 balls. However, the momentum shifted when Dushan Hemantha dismissed Head for 56, triggering a collapse where Australia lost ten wickets for 77 runs in the remaining overs. Hemantha finished with figures of 4-0-37-3, while Dushmantha Chameera also took key wickets to restrict Australia to a chaseable total.
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Sri Lanka’s chase began with the early loss of Kusal Perera to Marcus Stoinis, but Nissanka counterattacked decisively during the powerplay. He struck three boundaries in a single over off Xavier Bartlett and raced to 38 runs from 20 balls, helping Sri Lanka reach 61 for one after six overs. Alongside Kusal Mendis, who recorded his third consecutive World Cup fifty, Nissanka maintained a strong scoring rate.
With Sri Lanka needing 13 runs from the final three overs, Nissanka remained unbeaten to reach his century, securing the first hundred of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The hosts completed the chase with two overs to spare, sealing a memorable victory and confirming their qualification for the Super Eights.
This record-breaking performance highlights Nissanka’s talent and resilience under pressure, marking a significant moment in Sri Lankan cricket history.
