Pathum Nissanka smashed a scintillating century to help Sri Lanka make a comfortable nine-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their Super Six match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on July 2, 2023.
The Sri Lankan team stole an astounding win over Zimbabwe on Sunday to secure their spot in the World Cup qualifier games. The Lankan team let the host team bat first after the toss fell in their favour. The Lankab bowlers did really well as they restricted the host team to a minuscule score of 165.
After restricting Zimbabwe to 165, Sri Lankan openers brutally fed on Zimbabwe bowlers as their opener Nissanka scored 101 runs off 102 balls, with 14 fours. Sri Lanka chased down Zimbabwe’s total of 165 with ease in just 33.1 overs.
The 25-year-old opener was in sublime form from the start of his innings, and he never looked in danger of getting out. He found the boundary with ease, and he also drove and pulled the ball with power.
Nissanka put on a 103-run partnership for the first wicket with his co-opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who scored 30 runs, and then he shared a 66-run partnership with Kusal Mendis, who scored unbeaten 25 runs.
Nissanka brought up his century in the 32nd over and led his team to a massive win of 9 wickets. Nissanka’s innings were the difference between the two teams. He was the only Sri Lankan batsman to score more than 40 runs, and he was responsible for taking the game away from Zimbabwe.
Nissanka’s century is his third in ODI cricket, and it is his second in the World Cup Qualifier. Nissanka’s performance is a major boost for Sri Lanka’s chances of reaching the World Cup. They are currently in second place in the Super Six table, and they need to win their remaining two matches to guarantee a spot in the final.
Nissanka will be key to Sri Lanka’s chances in the remaining matches. He is in excellent form, and he is a world-class batsman. If he can continue his form, Sri Lanka will be a tough team to beat.
