Oman won the toss and elected to bowl in Match 16 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Group B encounter was played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 12, 2026. Co-hosts Sri Lanka were playing without star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury. Dushan Hemantha came into the playing eleven as his replacement.
Sri Lanka were captained by Dasun Shanaka with Kusal Mendis keeping wicket. Oman made two changes to their side with captain Jatinder Singh leading the team. Both teams had contrasting fortunes in their opening matches. Sri Lanka defeated Ireland by 20 runs while Oman lost to Zimbabwe by 8 wickets.
Sri Lanka posted a massive 225 for 5 in their 20 overs. This was the highest score of the tournament and the fourth highest in T20 World Cup history. Three batters scored half-centuries as Sri Lanka completely dominated the Oman bowling attack. Oman could only manage 120 for 9 in reply as Sri Lanka secured a comprehensive 105-run victory.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 225/5 | 20.0 |
| Oman | 120/9 | 20.0 |
| Result | Sri Lanka won by 105 runs | |
Three Half-Centuries Power Sri Lanka to Record Total
Sri Lanka lost opener Kamil Mishara early when Jay Odedra bowled him for 8 in the second over. Odedra outfoxed Mishara with a change of pace and the batter missed his slog to see his stumps rattled. Pathum Nissanka fell in the sixth over when Sufyan Mehmood trapped him lbw for 13. Sri Lanka were 42 for 2 at that stage.
Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake then launched a devastating counter-attack. The pair added 94 runs in just 52 balls to take control of the innings. Rathnayake was the aggressor and reached his fifty off just 24 balls. This was the second-fastest fifty for Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup history. He hit 8 fours and 1 six in his explosive innings of 60 off 28 balls before Jiten Ramanandi bowled him with a delivery that beat his scoop shot.
Kusal Mendis anchored the innings with a composed 61 off 45 balls. He hit 7 fours and rotated the strike well while his partners attacked at the other end. Captain Dasun Shanaka then produced a stunning display of power hitting. He smashed 50 off just 19 balls to record the fastest fifty in Sri Lanka’s T20I history. Shanaka hit 5 sixes and 2 fours before falling to Ramanandi in the 19th over.
Kusal Mendis was run out in the same over after a mix-up with Kamindu Mendis. Kamindu Mendis finished unbeaten on 19 off 7 balls with 2 sixes and 1 four. Dunith Wellalage added 6 not out as Sri Lanka posted 225 for 5. This was the highest score at this T20 World Cup and the fourth highest in tournament history. Shah Faisal was the most economical Oman bowler with figures of 0 for 28 from his 4 overs.
Top Batting Performances
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kusal Mendis | Sri Lanka | 61 | 45 | 7 | 0 |
| Pavan Rathnayake | Sri Lanka | 60 | 28 | 8 | 1 |
| Mohammad Nadeem* | Oman | 53* | 56 | 3 | 1 |
| Dasun Shanaka | Sri Lanka | 50 | 20 | 2 | 5 |
| Wasim Ali | Oman | 27 | 20 | 0 | 3 |
Oman Struggle Against Sri Lankan Bowling Attack
Oman’s chase got off to a disastrous start as they lost both openers in the first two overs. Dushmantha Chameera produced a brilliant delivery to bowl captain Jatinder Singh for 1 in the first over. The ball pitched just outside off stump and straightened to hit the top of off stump. Maheesh Theekshana then struck with his first ball when Aamir Kaleem was trapped lbw for 6. Oman were 12 for 2 and in deep trouble.
Hammad Mirza fell in the sixth over when he top-edged a pull shot off Chameera to Kamil Mishara at midwicket. Oman were 36 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Mohammad Nadeem and Wasim Ali tried to rebuild with a partnership of 42 runs but the required rate kept climbing. Wasim Ali hit 3 sixes in his 27 off 20 balls before edging Theekshana behind to Kusal Mendis.
Oman then lost wickets in a heap as they collapsed from 78 for 4 to 100 for 8. Vinayak Shukla was run out for 1. Dushan Hemantha claimed his first T20 World Cup wicket when Kusal Mendis completed a smart stumping to dismiss Jiten Ramanandi. Kamindu Mendis picked up the wicket of Nadeem Khan for 2. Sufyan Mehmood was run out after a mix-up with Mohammad Nadeem.
Mohammad Nadeem battled on and reached his fifty off 52 balls. At 43 years old, he became the oldest player to score a half-century at a T20 World Cup. He broke the record previously held by Sri Lanka legend Sanath Jayasuriya. This was also Oman’s first ever fifty in T20 World Cup history. Nadeem finished unbeaten on 53 off 56 balls as Oman reached 120 for 9 in their 20 overs. Sri Lanka’s victory by 105 runs was the ninth win by more than 100 runs in T20 World Cup history.
Top Bowling Performances
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maheesh Theekshana | Sri Lanka | 4 | 11 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Jiten Ramanandi | Oman | 4 | 41 | 2 | 10.25 |
| Dushmantha Chameera | Sri Lanka | 2 | 19 | 2 | 9.50 |
| Dunith Wellalage | Sri Lanka | 4 | 17 | 1 | 4.25 |
| Sufyan Mehmood | Oman | 4 | 60 | 1 | 15.00 |
Player of the Match: Pavan Rathnayake
Pavan Rathnayake was named Player of the Match for his explosive innings of 60 off 28 balls. He struck at a rate of 214.28 and hit 8 fours and 1 six. Rathnayake came to the crease with Sri Lanka at 15 for 1 and put together a match-winning partnership of 94 runs with Kusal Mendis.
Rathnayake’s fifty came off just 24 balls which was the second-fastest for Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup history. His aggressive batting set the platform for captain Dasun Shanaka to launch an even more devastating assault. The victory was Sri Lanka’s second consecutive win in the tournament and puts them in a strong position in Group B.
Maheesh Theekshana was outstanding with the ball. He finished with figures of 2 for 11 from his 4 overs at an economy rate of just 2.75. Theekshana struck with his first ball to dismiss Aamir Kaleem and set the tone for Oman’s unsuccessful chase. Matheesha Pathirana also impressed with figures of 0 for 11 from 3 overs as Sri Lanka’s bowling attack proved too strong for Oman.
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