Pallekele roared to life as Sri Lanka orchestrated one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, crushing Australia by 8 wickets to storm into the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s. Pathum Nissanka’s thunderous hundred was the centerpiece of a chase that left the Aussies reeling from back-to-back surprises.
The islanders were unstoppable, having previously outclassed Ireland by 20 runs and demolished Oman by 105. Australia had mixed results: a solid 67-run win over Ireland soured by a 23-run defeat to Zimbabwe. Losing the toss and batting first, they posted 181, thanks to explosive openers.
Travis Head’s 56 (29 balls, 7×4, 3×6) and Mitchell Marsh’s 54 (27 balls, 10 boundaries) in a 104-run powerplay blitz set a competitive tone. Inglis (27 off 22) and Maxwell (22) followed, but Sri Lanka’s Dusun Hemantha (3 wickets) and Chameera (2) struck back decisively.
Target in sight, Sri Lanka wobbled at 8-1 with Perera’s duck, but Nissanka-Mendis’ 97-run stand rebuilt momentum. Mendis’ 51 (38 balls) departed at 105, yet Nissanka’s dominance shone through, partnering Ratnayake for 79* off 34 to finish in 18 overs. Stoinis’ 2-46 was futile.
This masterclass not only avenges past defeats but positions Sri Lanka as Super 8 contenders, with Nissanka emerging as the tournament’s breakout star.