Skipper Charith Asalanka stayed not out on 35 off 28 balls to steer Sri Lanka past the 136-run target in 19 overs, with Dunith Wellalage unbeaten alongside him on 11 off 7
A clinical bowling performance, followed by a captain's knock from Charith Asalanka powered Sri Lanka to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first T20I in Dambulla on Saturday (November 9, 2024). With that, the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. (More Cricket News)
Asalanka stayed not out on 35 off 28 balls to steer Lanka past the 136-run target in 19 overs, with Dunith Wellalage unbeaten alongside him on 11 off 7.
Dunith Wellalage ended up with three wickets as Sri Lanka dismiss New Zealand for 135 runs in 19.3 overs. Zakary Foulkes remains not out for 27 off 16 balls to take the visitors to a respectable total after the relentless fall of wickets.
The Lankan bowling continued to chip away with timely wickets to leave the NZ batters a harried lot. Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga sent back dangerman Glenn Phillips with a fast googly that struck him bang in front. Yorker specialist Matheesha Pathirana then struck twice in quick succession to remove Mitchell Hay and Josh Clarkson.
The hosts rocked the Kiwis early, with Dunith Wellalage cleaning up Tim Robinson in the third over. Nuwan Thushara then had Mark Chapman caught at deep square leg in the fourth over, and Maheesh Theekshana trapped Will Young in front to leave New Zealand three down for just 31 runs in the powerplay.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in the first T20I in Dambulla on Saturday (November 9, 2024). This is the first game in a three-match series, which will be followed by three ODIs.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka(c), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara.
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Will Young, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitch Hay(w), Josh Clarkson, Mitchell Santner(c), Ish Sodhi, Zakary Foulkes, Jacob Duffy.
Weeks after being blanked 0-2 by the Lankans in a two-Test series, the Kiwis are visiting the island nation again, this time for a white-ball tour. Though it is an entirely different format, the BlackCaps will no doubt have a spring in their step after the historic 3-0 Test series demolition of India in the latter's own backyard.
The New Zealand side that is touring Sri Lanka is radically distinct from the one that routed India, but the confidence of the unprecedented result in the den of Lanka's titanic neighbours could bode well for the new-look Kiwi outfit.
The T20I series assumes significance given that the 2026 T20 World Cup will be hosted jointly by Sri Lanka and India. The performances in this tour could help New Zealand firm up their core unit for the next T20 showpiece.
Sri Lanka came into this series on the back of a 1-2 ODI leg defeat against the West Indies. Charith Asalanka's men, however, clinched the T20I series 2-1 before that.