1st T20I, Wanindu Hasaranga shines with 67 versus Afghanistan: Stats
Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga was at his dominant best in the first T20I against Afghanistan in Dambulla. The all-rounder hammered his second T20I fifty as he brought up his milestone in only 24 deliveries. Overall, he smashed seven boundaries and three maximums for his 32-ball 67. SL were 146/6 when they lost their captain before folding for 160. Here we decode his stats.
A blitzkrieg from Hasaranga
Hasaranga walked in the middle when his side was 55/4 inside the first six overs. However, he threw caution to the wind and started targeting the spinners. He played some exceptional shots all over the ground. His counter-attacking knock swayed the momentum back in SL's favor. He stitched a 72-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama. Eventually, Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed him in the 16th over.
Fifth-fastest fifty in T20Is for Sri Lanka
Hasaranga reached his fifty in 24 balls. As per ESPNcricinfo, this was the fifth-fastest fifty for SL in T20Is Dasun Shanaka scored the fastest T20I fifty for SL in 20 balls against India in 2023. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are joint second, having scored fifties in 21 deliveries. Kusal Perera (22), Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakratne Dilshan (both 23) are also ahead of him.
Third-highest strike rate by a SL captain in T20Is
As per statistician Thurunu Jayasiri, Hasaranga's strike rate of 209.4 is the third-highest among SL captains in a T20I knock where they have scored 60-plus runs. He is only behind Jayawardene (SR: 240.7) versus Kenya in 2007 and Sangakkara (SR: 210.8) against India in 2009.
A look at his T20I numbers
Playing his 62nd T20I, Hasaranga completed 600 runs at a decent strike rate of 129.03. As mentioned, this was his second T20I fifty for the Lankan Lions. Notably, Hasaranga became the first SL captain to score a fifty against Afghanistan in T20Is. He has compiled 1,960 runs in T20 cricket. He registered his 8th fifty in the 20-over format.
Here's the summary of the SL innings
Sri Lanka were reeling at 55/4 when Hasaranga and Samarawickrama added 72 runs together. Hasaranga was sensational against the spinners. However, once he was dismissed, the hosts lost their way as they kept losing wickets. Eventually, they were bowled out for 160 in 19 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi starred for Afghanistan with 3/25 while Azmatullah Omarzai and Naveen also claimed two wickets each.
