Kusal Perera has surpassed former opener Tillakaratne Dilshan to become Sri Lanka’s all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is. The 34-year-old reached this milestone during the first match of the two-game T20I series against New Zealand on Saturday (Nov. 9) at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
Batting at No. 3, Perera made 23 runs off 17 balls, including two fours and a six. With this performance, he overtook Dilshan’s record of 1,889 T20I runs, reaching a total of 1,904 runs in 73 matches, along with 15 fifties to his name.
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Wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis occupies third place with 1,840 runs, while Pathum Nissanka is fourth with 1,541 runs. Former captain Mahela Jayawardene rounds out the top five with 1,493 runs.
Sri Lanka Defeats New Zealand by Four Wickets in First T20I
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first, but their start was poor, losing three wickets during the powerplay. Tim Robinson (3), Will Young (19), and Mark Chapman (1) all struggled to make an impact.
Glenn Phillips scored 13 off 13 balls, while Michael Bracewell made 27 from 24 balls, including two fours and a six. Captain Mitchell Santner contributed 16, and Zakary Foulkes remained not out on 27 from 16 balls. Despite these efforts, New Zealand was bowled out for 135 in 19.3 overs.
Dunith Wellalage was the standout bowler in the match, finishing with three wickets to his name. He was well-supported by Nuwan Thushara, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Matheesha Pathirana, who each took two wickets, helping to restrict the opposition’s total.
In response, Santner made an immediate impact by dismissing Kusal Mendis for a duck after just five balls. Pathum Nissanka managed to score 19 runs, while Kusal Perera and Kamindu Mendis both contributed 23 runs each to the scoreboard.
Captain Charith Asalanka, alongside Hasaranga (22), added a crucial 38-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Asalanka remained unbeaten on 35 off 28 balls, guiding Sri Lanka to a four-wicket win with six balls to spare.
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