Fastest T20I fifties for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka started the year 2023 with a narrow two-wicket defeat against India in the first T20I match on their ongoing tour of India. They made a great comeback in the second match with a 16-run win to level the series to 1-1. But they were bowled out on just 137 runs while chasing a big 229-run target in the decider to lose out on a series. But despite the series defeat, there were some positive individual performances from the Sri Lankan team, including a 56* off 22 balls knock in the second T20I, which turned out to be the fastest T20I fifty by Sri Lankan captain. So, let’s take a look at fastest T20I fifties for Sri Lanka so far.
3. 22 balls – Kusal Perera vs India in March 2018
Perera’s famous 77 runs off 37 balls while chasing a 261-run target against India in 2017 remains his best international knock. But he smashed his fastest T20I fifty a year later in March 2018 against India during his 66 runs off 37 balls match-winning knock. He reached the 50-run mark in just 22 balls and missed out on the fastest fifty for Sri Lanka in T20Is by just a ball.
2. 21 balls – Mahela Jayawardene vs Kenya in September 2007 & Kumar Sangakkara vs India in December 2009
The former Sri captains Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are at the top of the chart for almost every batting record for Sri Lanka across formats. Sangakkara smashed a 21-ball fifty against India when he smashed 78 runs off 37 balls in the first T20I on India tour in Nagpur in 2009.
Jayawardene equaled Sangakkara’s fastest T20I fifty for Sri Lanka when he smashed 65 runs off 27 balls against Kenya in the 2007 T20 World Cup group-stage fixture. He held on to the record for more than 15 years till the current Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka surpassed him and Sangakkara in January 2023.
1. 20 balls – Dasun Shanaka vs India in January 2023
Sri Lanka’s current white-ball teams’ captain smashed 56* off just 22 balls with the help of two fours and six sixes to guide his team to 206 runs in the second T20I against India on January 5, 2023. Shanaka reached the 50-run mark in just 20 balls to break Jayawardene and Sangakkara’s record to score the fastest T20I fifty for Sri Lanka.
