SL vs OMA: Sri Lanka brace for Aussie challenge with Oman

Short Score:

Sri Lanka (225/5 in 20 overs) beat Oman (120/9 in 20 overs) by 105 runs in Pallekele in a Group B match.

For Sri Lanka: Mendis (61), Rathnayake (60); Jiten Ramanandi (2/41)

For Oman: Nadeem (53*); Theekshana (2/11), Chameera (2/19)

Sri Lanka continued their excellent start to the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup and set up for their match against Australia with a 105-run victory against Oman in Pallekele on Thursday 12 February. Fifties from Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake and a record half-century from skipper Dasun Shanaka helped the hosts post 2 first runs in a mammoth total of 25. In response, Oman were never even in the chase as regular wickets and errors meant they could muster only 120 runs in their 20 overs.

SL vs OMA T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD

The loss also saw Oman on the brink of an early exit from the competition as they lost their first match against Zimbabwe. The toss was won by Oman on a cloudy day in Pallekele and that was the only bit of excitement for Jatinder Singh and co. in a match.

Sri Lanka were dealt an early blow when Kamil Mishara was cleaned out in the second over. Mendis arrived and showed intent early with a couple of boundaries. Oman then had a moment of madness when they decided to take one of the worst reviews, much to the amusement of the commentators.

Nissanka and Mendis then collected runs before Jatinder redeemed himself for an earlier DRS howler with a smart call to send the Sri Lankan opener back to the pavilion. The score was 42 for two in 5.1 overs and Oman really believed they would make something of the game. However, the momentum was quickly halted by the Rathnayake storm, which rendered Oman speechless.

RATHNAYAKE RAISES HIS HAND

“I played my normal game, so I enjoyed it. I played my normal game and I’m very happy. Today we just finished it. From my point of view, we tried to give momentum and we also needed a boundary at the end. We just followed it and stayed.”

Those were the words of Rathnayake after his whirlwind performance on Thursday that played a big part in the win. There were questions about the quality of the Sri Lankan middle order, but the 23-year-old responded with three boundaries off the first four balls he faced.

With the experienced Mendis at the other end, the youngster continued to play with attacking intent, finding boundaries when the opportunity presented itself. Mendis and Rathnayake played cautiously and ensured they reached 96 in 10 overs as Oman were not disciplined with the ball.

Once both players understood that the threat from Oman’s bowling was minimal, Rathnayake flexed his muscles and got to his first T20I fifty off just 24 balls before starting to dismantle the bowling. Looking to up the ante, Rathnayake fell but his knock gives the co-hosts hope as they head towards the business end. He ensured that a 94-run stand was set up with Mendis and the momentum was on the side of the co-hosts.

Just when Oman thought they were out of danger, Shanaka came and continued the onslaught. Criticized for his own form after the arrival of Charitha Asalanka, the Sri Lankan captain made a statement with the fastest fifty by a Sri Lankan player in T20Is.

Backed by some wayward bowling from Oman, Shanaka just sent the ball to all parts of the ground and reached his milestone in just 19 balls as Sri Lanka set up for a big target.

While Shanaka and Mendis fell in quick succession, Wellalage and Kamindu Mendis made the finishing touches.

A ROUGH AWAKENING FOR OMAN

While Oman is one of the biggest stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20, their performances spoke volumes that there is still a big gap in quality that can lead to big name fights. The ongoing tournament saw fellows give the giants headaches, but Oman never looked like they were even close to doing so in Pallekele.

They lost two wickets in the first two overs and from there it was just Oman struggling to keep up with the required run rate. Mohammad Nadeem and Wasim Ali gave Oman some relief with their 42-run stand, but the moment the latter fell, the wheels just fell off the run.

Theekshan and Chameera took two wickets each but it was also a poor bit of running that cost Oman dearly. Vinayak Shukla and Sufyan Mehmood were exhausted and overall intent seemed to be lacking.

While Nadeem got his fifty, a total of five boundaries and four sixes were hit in Oman’s entire innings, painting a bleak picture as the hosts hit 22 boundaries and eight maximums. The games will come very quickly for Oman and they now face Ireland and Australia in their remaining games.

The next big challenge for Sri Lanka will be one that can potentially decide the number one and two in Group B when they take on the Aussies on February 16.

– The end

Published on:

February 12, 2026

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