Pathum Nissanka Slams His Maiden Century in T20Is: Key Stats

By Rajdeep Saha | Sep 27, 2025 | 12:12 am

Sri Lanka’s explosive right-handed opener, Pathum Nissanka, registered his maiden T20 International century against India in a Super 4 match of the Men’s T20 Asia Cup held in Dubai on Friday. Chasing a challenging target of 203 runs, Nissanka played a pivotal role in keeping the Sri Lankan innings alive.

Alongside Kusal Perera, Nissanka shared a record-breaking 127-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, helping Sri Lanka maintain momentum in a high-stakes encounter.

A Superb Knock from Nissanka

Sri Lanka dominated the powerplay, especially after an early dismissal of Kusal Mendis. Nissanka scored 47 runs in this phase, guiding the team to 72/1. He reached his half-century off just 25 balls as the runs flowed steadily.

Following Perera’s dismissal in the 13th over, Nissanka continued to time the ball expertly, resisting India’s efforts to regain control by taking key wickets. His composed innings and stroke play were the highlight of Sri Lanka’s chase.

Nissanka’s Dismissal and Partnership Records

The first ball of the 20th over saw Nissanka depart after a magnificent 107-run innings. Indian pacer Harshit Rana got him out, with Nissanka caught by the fielder stationed at short fine-leg.

The Nissanka-Perera 127-run stand is now the 3rd-highest partnership for any wicket for Sri Lanka in T20Is. Sri Lanka’s top partnerships include:

• 166 runs – Mahela Jayawardene & Kumar Sangakkara vs West Indies, Bridgetown, 2010 World Cup
• 145 runs – Tillakaratne Dilshan & Mahela Jayawardene vs England, Chattogram, 2014 World Cup
• 127 runs – Pathum Nissanka & Kusal Perera vs India, Dubai, 2025 Asia Cup
• 124 runs – Tillakaratne Dilshan & Sanath Jayasuriya vs West Indies, Nottingham, 2009 World Cup

Notable Records and Milestones

• First Sri Lankan batter with a T20I century against India: ESPNcricinfo confirms Nissanka is the first Sri Lankan to score a T20I hundred versus India. He previously held the best individual score for Sri Lanka against India with 79 runs in 2024.
• Third batter with a hundred in Men’s T20 Asia Cup history: Nissanka joins an elite group, following Babar Hayat (122 vs Oman, 2016) and Virat Kohli (122* vs Afghanistan, 2022).
• Fourth Sri Lankan batter with a T20I century: Nissanka joins Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Kusal Perera in this exclusive list.

Performance Stats

Nissanka ended with an impressive 107 runs off 58 balls, featuring 7 fours and 6 sixes. This innings marked his maiden T20I hundred and second overall T20 century. Across 74 T20I matches, he has accumulated 2,211 runs at an average of 31.58, including 17 fifties.

In all T20 matches combined, Nissanka boasts 3,933 runs at an average of 29.13, with 2 centuries and 28 fifties to his name.

Additional Achievement

Another milestone for Nissanka is crossing 100 sixes in T20 cricket. According to ESPNcricinfo, he reached this landmark with his first six in the match against India. To date, he has struck 105 sixes in T20s, with 59 of those coming in T20Is for Sri Lanka.

Pathum Nissanka’s innings stood out not only for the runs but also for timing and composure under pressure, making it a memorable performance in his burgeoning career.

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