Charith Asalanka slams his maiden T20I fifty vs NZ: Stats
Charith Asalanka's fiery half-century powered Sri Lanka to 196/5 while batting first in the opening T20I versus New Zealand. The southpaw mustered 67 off 41 balls, a knock laced with two boundaries and as many as six maximums. Meanwhile, it was overall his 4th half-century in T20I cricket and a maiden one versus the Kiwis. Here we look at his stats.
A power-packed knock from Asalanka
New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl in Auckland. Asalanka arrived at number five with the scorecard reading 65/3. He joined forces with comeback man Kusal Perera (53*), and the duo added 103 runs for the fourth wicket. Asalanka was the aggressor in the partnership as he reached his fifty off just 32 balls. He eventually fell prey to pacer Ben Lister.
A look at his T20I numbers
Asalanka, who made his T20I debut in July 2021, has now raced to 796 runs in 35 games at 25.68. His strike rate in the format reads 123.41. His highest score of 80* came versus Bangladesh in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. Among SL players, only opener Pathum Nissanka (983) has clocked more T20I runs since Asalanka's maiden appearance in the format.
Here's how the first innings panned out
SL were off to a disastrous start with Nissanka falling for a golden duck. Though Kusal Mendis (25) and Dhananjaya de Silva (15) got starts, they failed to capitalize. Asalanka and Perera's century stand powered the visitors past the 160-run mark. Wanindu Hasaranga scored a vital 11-ball 21*. James Neesham was the pick of the NZ bowlers, claiming 2/30 in four overs.
