What looked like a routine chase turned into a nerve-shredder in Harare before Kamindu Mendis’s late fireworks carried Sri Lanka to a four-wicket win over Zimbabwe with five balls to spare in the first T20I on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, cruising at 96 without loss thanks to Pathum Nissanka’s half-century, suddenly collapsed to 125 for 5, leaving Zimbabwe smelling an upset. But Mendis, calm at first and then brutal, smashed 41 off just 16 balls to flip the contest on its head and silence the home crowd.
“I just kept calm” – Mendis
Mendis’s assault came in the 18th over, when Tinotenda Maposa lost his lengths. The left-hander scooped, pulled, and launched three sixes in a 26-run over that broke Zimbabwe’s grip on the game.
There were quick wickets in the middle, so I thought of trying to get five to six balls to get in and then finish the game. I had to hit boundaries, so I just kept calm and expressed myself.
Nissanka Anchors, Zimbabwe Fight Back
Earlier, Pathum Nissanka’s composed 55 off 32 balls gave Sri Lanka the perfect start. But Zimbabwe refused to fold: Richard Ngarava’s tight spell of 2 for 19 and sharp fielding pressure triggered a collapse that saw six wickets tumble in seven overs. From a position of dominance, Sri Lanka suddenly found themselves needing 46 from the last four overs.
Bennett Lights Up Harare
Zimbabwe had been carried to 175 for 7 by Brian Bennett’s sparkling 81 from 57 balls. He attacked early, scoring freely in the Powerplay, and stitched partnerships with Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl. His dismissal in the penultimate over stalled Zimbabwe’s push, but the total still looked competitive. For Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera was outstanding with 3 for 30, using his pace and yorkers to peg back Zimbabwe at crucial moments.
Captains’ contrasting take
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka praised his team’s nerve.
Outstanding the way the boys played today. Little bit [of panic], yes, but credit to how Zimbabwe bowled and fielded. Kamindu played amazingly well. And Chameera? He’s the x-factor — we missed him in the side over the last year.
Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza rued the one over that undid his team. "I thought we were in the game for 19 overs, but it was one over that went for 20-odd that turned the game," he said. "Kamindu played brilliantly. Unfortunately, when we find ourselves in winning positions, there’s a panic, but once we get some wins under the belt, we’ll start to close out more games."
What’s next
Sri Lanka take a 1-0 lead into the second T20I on Saturday at the same venue, with Zimbabwe needing to regroup quickly after letting a golden chance slip. The visitors had already swept the ODI series, and now stand one win away from another series triumph.
Brief scores Zimbabwe: 175/7 in 20 overs (Brian Bennett 81, Sikandar Raza 28; Dushmantha Chameera 3-30) Sri Lanka 177/6 in 19.1 overs (Pathum Nissanka 55, Kamindu Mendis 41*; Richard Ngarava 2-19) Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets
