A magnificent unbeaten 98 from Pathum Nissanka guided Sri Lanka to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in a must-win encounter of the Pakistan-hosted T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing a modest target of 147, Sri Lanka cruised to 147/1 in 16.2 overs, sealing the win with 22 balls to spare. Nissanka was the star of the show, remaining unbeaten on 98 off 58 balls, striking 11 fours and four sixes in a commanding display of controlled aggression.
He found solid support from Kamil Mishara (12) and *Kusal Mendis (25)**, who ensured Sri Lanka faced no hiccups during the chase. Zimbabwe’s Brad Evans was the only bowler to pick up a wicket.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Zimbabwe posted 146/5 in 20 overs, thanks to useful contributions from captain Sikandar Raza and all-rounder Ryan Burl.
The Chevrons, however, suffered an early setback as Maheesh Theekshana struck twice in his opening spell, removing Tadiwanashe Marumani and Dion Myers, reducing Zimbabwe to 17/2.
Brendan Taylor (14) then steadied the innings alongside Brian Bennett, with the duo adding 36 runs for the third wicket before Taylor was dismissed by Dasun Shanaka in the eighth over.
