Matheesha Pathirana breaks Lasith Malinga's 5-year T20I record during Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I

Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana broke legendary pacer Lasith Malinga’s record during the recently concluded T20I series against Afghanistan. Matheesha Pathirana set a new record for the most wickets in a single bilateral T20I series by a Sri Lankan fast bowler.

Sri Lanka suffered a 3-run defeat in the final match of the three-match T20I series at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on Wednesday, February 21. The Wanindu Hasaranga-led team secured the series win 2-1 against the Afghanistan team.

Matheesha Pathirana Breaks Lasith Malinga’s Record

During the third T20I against Afghanistan, Matheesha Pathirana demonstrated his prowess by claiming two crucial wickets. The 21-year-old achieved a commendable feat after securing a total of eight wickets across three games at an impressive economy rate of 8.

Pathirana surpassed Lasith Malinga’s record of seven wickets against New Zealand in 2019. Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera also achieved the same feat, with seven wickets each in series against Pakistan (2019) and Australia (2022), respectively.

Throughout the series, Pathirana showcased consistent performance, notably achieving a four-wicket haul in the first T20I and contributing two crucial wickets in the second match. In the third and final match, he secured two wickets for 42 runs in his four-over quota.

Matheesha Pathirana made his T20I debut for Sri Lanka against Afghanistan during the Asia Cup 2022. The right-arm pacer went wicketless during the match, conceding 35 runs in four overs. Overall, he has taken 8 wickets in four games at an impressive average of 13.

Afghanistan Secures 3-Run Victory In Final T20I Match

Speaking of the game, Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Afghan openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz forged an 88-run partnership. However, Akila Dananjaya broke the partnership as Zazai fell just five runs short of his half-century.

Gurbaz scored 70 runs off 43 balls, with the help of seven boundaries and a six. Mohammad Ishaq scored 16 runs off eight balls as Afghanistan set a formidable total of 209 runs. Sri Lanka’s Pathirana and Dananjaya secured two wickets each in their bowling spells.

Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis both notched fifties in the run chase. Despite their efforts, the team narrowly missed victory by three runs. Mohammad Nabi took two wickets for 35 runs, while Fareed Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, and Qais Ahmad each took a wicket.

We Played Really Well First Two Games – Wanindu Hasaranga

Sri Lanka captain Wanindu Hasaranga was named Player of the Series for his contributions. Hasaranga commended the team’s performance, especially in the first two matches. He also credited the bowlers for their outstanding contribution.

“We played really well first two games. Credit goes to our bowlers. We want to see how everyone performs, that’s why we made 4 changes. Our bowlers did a good job and Chameera will also be coming back now after injury,” Wanindu Hasaranga said.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan team whitewashed the Afghanistan team in both Test and ODI formats. The hosts secured a 10-wicket victory in the one-off Test in Colombo. The Lankan Lions continued their winning momentum and won all three matches in the 50-over format.

Also read: Mumbai Indians might use Hardik Pandya like MS Dhoni utilized Matheesha Pathirana – Sunil Gavaskar