🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026:M16: SL vs Oman, Pallekele 🏏 - Page 3

According to win probability, Oman has 36% of chance. Surprising!

Teams:

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis(w), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana

Oman (Playing XI): Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh(c), Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla(w), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Jay Odedra

Pitch and conditions: Roshen Abeysinghe says that the weather is pleasant but humidiy is high. Square boundaries are 66m and 68m and the straight hit is 80m. Russell Arnold says that it is a nice, hard track with good covering of grass. Adds that Sri Lanka should enjoy the bounce here and bat well. Reckons Sri Lanka will need a minimum score of 180.

SL, minus Hasaranga, take on Oman at bogey venue

Hemantha could play instead of Hasaranga, who has been ruled out of the tournament

Dushan Hemantha, the leg-spinning allrounder, is on paper a like-for-like for Hasaranga

Big picture: Hasaranga-less SL face Oman

On most days Sri Lanka would enter Thursday's clash in Kandy against Oman as heavy favourites. They've beaten Oman in their solitary meeting - an ODI in 2023 - and are generally formidable in home conditions. But the psychological and tactical knock-on effects of Wanindu Hasaranga being ruled out of the tournament provide an intriguing backdrop.

The star legspinner is a renowned bully of Associates and those lower down the T20 rungs, as highlighted by his match-turning 3 for 25 against Ireland, whose batters found him too much to handle even on one leg. His absence therefore leaves a massive hole in Sri Lanka's middle-overs containment plan - one Oman will no doubt be looking to exploit - while his power-hitting will also be missed.

His replacement, legspinning allrounder Dushan Hemantha, is like-for-like cover on paper, but the only area in which Hemantha has regularly excelled in in his handful of international white-ball outings has been in the field. The pressure will squarely shift to Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage to spearhead the spin attack, with neither being as proficient a wicket-taker as Hasaranga.

Sri Lanka's bowling had been their trump card coming into this tournament, but Hasaranga's injury following that of Eshan Malinga's days prior to the tournament have exposed yet another chink in their armour.

Sri Lanka's batting concerns have also been exacerbated by Hasaranga's absence. The middle order has struggled for consistency, particularly against spin - a challenge they're likely to face in abundance against a spin-centric Omani attack - and now one of their better spin hitters is out.

Runs up the order from Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have been crucial to Sri Lanka's recent successes, while a revelatory knock from Kamindu Mendis against Ireland has offered hope lower down. But you sense the key to an unlikely upset will be whether Oman can access Sri Lanka's soft middle cheaply - do that and it's anybody's game.

For Oman, this is a quintessential do-or-die fixture. Currently at the bottom of Group B after a loss to Zimbabwe, they must secure a victory to keep their Super Eight hopes alive. They can draw confidence from their warm-up victory over a Sri Lanka A side earlier this month, where Aamir Kaleem's blistering 80 and Vinayak Shukla's finishing proved they can compete with the islanders' second string. They will also need to find a way to contend with the express pair of Dushmantha Chameera and Matheesha Pathirana, having lost nine wickets to Zimbabwe's seamers in their opener.

Recent form

Sri Lanka W L L L W (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

Oman L W W L W

SL

(5/20 ov) 42/1

OMA

Oman chose to field.

Stats view

Current RR: 8.40

Live Forecast:

SL 178

Oman just lost the worst review of this tournament

Jay Odedra struck the first blow for Oman

Faisal bowled an excellent over, conceding just one in the innings' third. HOwever, Oman also lost a ludicrous review midway, when he hit Kusal Mendis on the upper thigh and Oman went up in appeal. The ball pitched a yard outside leg and was going a yard over the stumps, but they went for the review anyway, and lost it.

It's been an eventful start, with Jay Odedra bowling Kamil Mishara out beautifully by varying his flight. Unfortunately for Oman, he also conceded 14 in the over. Wasim, who replaces him, hasn't fared much better, leaking another 13, and Sri Lanka are flying high at 37 for one in four

SL

(18.3/20 ov) 202/5

OMA

Oman chose to field.

Stats view

Current RR: 10.91

• Last 5 ov (RR): 65/3 (13.00)

Live Forecast:

SL 223

OMAN doesn't stand a chance at chasing this score successfully.

Shah Faisal to Kamindu Mendis, SIX, back-to-back sixes and Sri Lanka finish with 225 - Faisal dragged the length back, but it's too short and Kamindu swivels across into the pull over mid-wicket, went a long way into the grassbanks and Oman's captain looks annoyed

19.5

6

Shah Faisal to Kamindu Mendis, SIX, beautifully played, fuller length delivery and well wide of off - Kamindu leans across, opens the face of the bat and then carves it high over deep point for a maximum

17 runs in the last over !

SL-- 225/5

This target will be an uphill task for Oman!

Oman Innings

0.6 Chameera to Jatinder, OUT

Top of off, you beauty! What a delivery! Length ball just around off, 140.8kph, just straightens a touch after landing. Jatinder stands tall to clip it across the line. But that movement was enough to beat his outside edge and send him walking. Chameera on the money in the first over

Jatinder Singh b Chameera 1 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50