Cricket

Shanaka's 19-ball fifty lifts Sri Lanka over Oman

By AAP Newswire

Feb 12, 2026

Captain Dasun Shanaka broke his own record for the fastest Twenty20 half-century for Sri Lanka as his side crushed Oman by 105 runs at the T20 World Cup.

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Shanaka's 19-ball 50 along with Kusal Mendis's 61 and Pavan Rathnayake's 60 against a weak bowling attack propelled Sri Lanka to a tournament-best 5-225 on Thursday.

Oman laboured to 9-120 in reply, the wickets shared by five bowlers. Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana led with 2-11 off four overs.

Sri Lanka has two wins from two games while yet to meet Group B rivals Australia and Zimbabwe.

Oman's 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem became the oldest man to score a half-century in the history of the T20 World Cup with an unbeaten 53 from 56 balls.

Nadeem was one of the only two Oman batters to reach double figures with Wasim Ali scoring 27.

Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishra inside the power play but Rathnayake and Mendis featured in a brisk 94-run third-wicket stand off 52 balls.

Shanaka smacked five sixes to surpass his previous Sri Lanka record of a 20-ball half-century against India in 2023 before he holed out at long-off of the very next ball.