PAK vs SL: Kusal Mendis Scripts History For Sri Lanka With 65-Ball Century Against Pakistan

Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis has had a stellar start in the 2023 ODI World Cup as he managed to shatter the record for the fastest century scored by a Sri Lankan in ODI World Cup history. He managed to reach his ton in only 65 deliveries where he hit 14 boundaries and six sixes to score 122 runs after which he was dismissed at 122 by Pakistan’s Hasan Ali.

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Kusal Mendis managed to break the previous record held by Sri Lankan legend, Kumar Sangakkara who scored a ton during the 2015 World Cup against England in just 70 deliveries at Wellington, New Zealand.

The No. 3 batter has now scored a total of 198 runs in the 2 matches he has played, thereby being the top-scorer in the tournament as of now. Sri Lanka will hope that Kusal Mendis’s form continues as Sri Lanka will rely on him to provide solid starts for the side as he has done today.

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After the early dismissal of Kusal Perera, the pair of Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka managed to give the Sri Lankan side a good start as the two put in a century-run partnership to give the side the foundation to set a decent target. After the dismissal of Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama came in and continued where Nissanka left off and stitched another century partnership with Kusal Mendis.

Kusal Mendis was at 122 runs and the Sri Lankan side had scored 218 runs for the loss of 2 wickets when the batter was dismissed by Hasan Ali where the batter slogged one towards Imam-ul-Haq for a catch.

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Babar Azam’s men will be put to the test as Sri Lanka looks to set a decent target for the side and will have to put up with the bowling of Sri Lanka especially Maheesh Theekshana who is returning to the side after picking up an injury during the recently concluded, Asia Cup.

Sri Lanka will look to pick up their first win in their World Cup campaign and hope to recreate their heroics from the Asia Cup where they managed to cause an upset and defeat Pakistan to get to the finals of the tournament.