Batting first, India were once again powered by Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order. The opener played a blistering knock of 61 runs off just 31 deliveries, providing early momentum alongside Shubman Gill. His aggressive innings carried India to 71 for 1 at the end of the powerplay before he was dismissed in the ninth over.
Following his departure, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson took their time to settle in but eventually accelerated, guiding India past the 200-run mark as they looked to extend their unbeaten run in the competition.
Nissanka Counters with a Stunning Hundred
Chasing more than 10 runs an over from the outset, Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Kusal Mendis fell for a first-ball duck to Hardik Pandya. However, Pathum Nissanka, in the company of Kusal Perera, launched a fierce counterattack. The duo stitched together a brilliant 127-run stand from just 70 balls, rapidly reducing the required run rate.
India clawed back through their spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, who tightened the screws in the middle overs and triggered a mini-collapse with three wickets for 29 runs. Yet, Nissanka remained defiant, bringing up a magnificent century in the 17th over with a straight six off Arshdeep Singh. At that stage, Sri Lanka required just 33 runs from the final three overs.
The chase, however, unraveled in the last over after Nissanka’s dismissal. Before walking back, he etched his name in history by becoming the 28th man—and the 33rd player overall—to score centuries in all three formats. He is only the fourth Sri Lankan to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Kusal Perera.
With the scores level, the contest went into a Super Over. Sri Lanka faltered under pressure, managing only two runs before being bowled out. India, in response, sealed victory off the very first ball of their chase, maintaining their dominance in the tournament.
