In the bright sunshine of Pallekele, Pathum Nissanka made history with a remarkable double century in the first ODI against Afghanistan on Friday, February 9. Afghanistan, on their tour to Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is, witnessed one of the finest innings by a Sri Lankan batter in ODI cricket.
Partnering with Avishka Fernando at the opening, Nissanka forged a partnership of 182 runs in 26.2 overs before Fernando was dismissed at 88. Subsequently, Nissanka formed another century stand, this time with Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Remaining unbeaten throughout the Sri Lankan innings, Nissanka maintained superiority over the Afghan bowlers. Facing the likes of Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, and Fareed Ahmad, the Sri Lankan opener asserted his dominance, orchestrating a masterful performance.
Launching an assault on the opposition bowlers, Nissanka struck 20 fours and eight sixes, with more than 60 percent of his total runs coming from boundaries. Achieving a double century in any format typically results in breaking numerous records.
Here are the 4 Records That Pathum Nissanka Broke With His Unbeaten 210 are:
#1 Second-highest ODI score against an Asian team
Afghanistan has conceded a second ODI double century in the last three months, with Glenn Maxwell scoring 201 in Mumbai during the ODI World Cup 2023 in November.
Pathum Nissanka’s unbeaten 210* is now the highest score against Afghanistan and jointly the second-highest against all Asian countries, alongside Ishan Kishan, who also made 210 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2022. Rohit Sharma’s remarkable innings of 264 against Sri Lanka remains the top score on the list.
#2 First player to score 150+ in 50th ODI innings
Interestingly, it marked Nissanka’s 50th ODI innings. While many players have marked their 50th ODI with memorable performances, none had scored beyond 150 runs until now.
Nissanka is the pioneer, achieving the first-ever individual score above 150, let alone 200, in his 50th ODI innings. The previous record was held by Ireland’s Andy Balbirnie, who scored 145 against Afghanistan in 2019.
#3 Nissanka recorded the third-fastest ODI double century
Nissanka showcased elegant strokeplay, reaching his first fifty runs in a mere 31 balls and completing his hundred in a total of 88 balls. Following that, he displayed power-packed hitting, achieving his next two sets of 50 runs in 28 and 20 runs, respectively.
The Sri Lankan opener reached his maiden double century in just 136 balls, surpassing Chris Gayle (138 balls) and Virender Sehwag (140 balls) to secure the third-quickest position on the list. Ishan Kishan holds the record for the fastest ODI double century against Bangladesh, taking 126 balls.
#4 The highest individual One Day International (ODI) score for Sri Lanka
Pathum Nissanka’s outstanding innings made him the first Sri Lankan player to achieve a double century in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Before this, no other Sri Lankan player had scored 190 or more. Sanath Jayasuriya’s 189 against India in 2000 now stands as the second-best individual score by a Sri Lankan batter.
After 24 years, Nissanka has claimed the record for the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan player. Additionally, his score of 210 is also tied for the fifth-best individual score in ODI history.
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