Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka: Asalanka’s side seals win, Pathum Nissanka shines as player of match

HARARE: The Sri Lanka team won the second ODI of the series against Zimbabwe here on Sunday, with the unbeaten side’s Pathum Nissanka picked as Player of the Match following his outstanding 122 runs off 136 balls.

Chasing a competitive target of 278, Sri Lanka reached the total in 49.2 overs, with four wickets in hand, thanks to a composed and commanding innings from Nissanka. The opener anchored the chase masterfully, smashing 12 boundaries and 1 six, and built crucial partnerships throughout the innings, notably with Charith Asalanka.

Asalanka, the skipper, guided the team home with an unbeaten 61 off 69 balls, ensuring there were no late hiccups as Sri Lanka took a 2-0 lead in the series.

Zimbabwe batting line

Zimbabwe posted 277-7 after being put in to bat. Ben Curran top-scored for his side with a fluent 79 off 95 balls, while defeated Sikandar Raza contributed a vital 59 off 55 in the middle order. Despite a strong start, Zimbabwe lost momentum in patches following regular breakthroughs by the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Dushmantha Chameera was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka, claiming 3 wickets for 44 runs in his 10 overs. He was well supported by Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka, who took a wicket each.

Zimbabwe bowling line

In response, Zimbabwe’s bowlers struggled to find consistent breakthroughs. Blessing Muzarabani managed two wickets but couldn’t stop the steady flow of runs from the Sri Lankan batters.

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With this win, Sri Lanka continues their dominance in the series, and all eyes will be on the final ODI to see if Zimbabwe can bounce back and avoid a whitewash.

With the seasoned batter Nissanka bowled out, another top scorer was captain Asalanka who scored 71 off 61 balls before being downed.

Sri Lanka team squad: Pathum Nissanka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (captain), Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka