Sri Lankan opening batsman Kusal Mendis equaled Tally for most half-centuries in the T20 Asia Cup of Pakistan wicketkeeper-baater Mohammad Rizwan. In particular, former Team India captain Virat Kohli and Sri Lankan Battham Nisanka Nisanka lead the chart for most such scores in the continental tournament.
Sri Lanka topped Group B after successfully chased the 170 -run target against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 18 September. Kusal Mendis played an important role in Sri Lanka’s victory in his last group match, scoring 74 unbeaten from 52 delivery with the help of 10 limits.
Kusal Mendis records Mohammad Rizwan’s record, Virat Kohli tops
Kusal Mendis has been one of the most consistent artists in the T20 Asia Cup, reaching its third fifty-Plus score in nine matches. With this milestone, he equaled Mohammad Rizwan, who also has three such scores in the continental tournament.
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Virat Kohli, who retired from the T20I last year, tops the top of four with more than 50 knocks, including three fifties and a century. Meanwhile, Dinesh Chandimal, Fakhar Zaman, Rohit Sharma and Babur Hayat have recorded two half -centuries in each tournament.
| Rank | Player | Matchbox | 50+ score | 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Pitham Nisanka | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Kusal Mendis | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Mohammad Rizwan | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 5 | Rohit Sharma | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | Dinesh Chandimal | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Babur Hayat | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Fakhar Zaman | 9 | 2 | 0 |
Kusal Mendis broke Mohammad Rizwan’s record
Kusal Mendis also broke another T20 Asia Cup record with his knock against Afghanistan. He recorded the highest personal score in a successful run chase in the history of the tournament.
The Sri Lankan opener overtaken Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 71 off 51 balls against India during the Asia Cup 2022. Mendis recorded the second best score by Sri Lankan in the competition, which was less than 75 unhappy Dilshan’s unhappy against Pakistan in 2016.
The highest personal score in men’s T20 Asia Cup in successful runs:
| Player | Oppose | score | venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kusal Mendis | Afghanistan | 74* (52) | Abu Dhabi | 2025 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | India | 71 (51) | Dubai | 2022 |
| Pitham Nisanka | Hong Kong | 68 (44) | Dubai | 2025 |
| Shoaib Malik | UAE | 63* (49) | Mirpur | 2016 |
| Noor Ali Zadran | Oman | 63 (44) | Fatullah | 2016 |
Sri Lanka prepared to face Bangladesh in Super Four Clash on 20 September
Sri Lanka completed the target of 170 runs with eight balls against Afghanistan. Patham Nisanka and Kamil Mishra fell quickly in the run chase, causing Sri Lanka to 47/2.
Kusal Mendis stabilized the innings, while Kusal Perera (28) and Charith Asanka (17) provided brief assistance. Kamindu Mendis broke an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls, including two sixes, to guide the team across the finish line without any hiccups.
The Afghanistan bowlers fought for successes, winning over 12 runs with Rashid Khan wicketlaces and Noor Ahmed in more than 12 runs. Earlier, Mohammad Nabi scored 60 runs off 22 balls, helping Afghanistan a total of 169/8 total.
Sri Lanka topped Group B and will face Bangladesh in their Super Four Clash in Dubai on 20 September.
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