Rex Clementine in The Island, January 2026
Sri Lanka depend so much on Pathum Nissanka in white ball cricket and when he fires, the team wins and when he fails, they flop
The first T20 International against Pakistan in Dambulla underlined, yet again, how heavily Sri Lanka lean on their talismanic opener Pathum Nissanka. When he gets going, Sri Lanka can push into the 180 plus scores that win you games. When he fails, the innings tends to unravel like a loose sweater. On Wednesday night, they were skittled with four balls to spare.
Sri Lanka depend so much on Pathum Nissanka in white ball cricket and when he fires, the team wins and when he fails, they flop.
Ranked third in the world in T20Is, Nissanka has been a model of consistency over the past 24 months, scripting more than his share of Sri Lanka’s recent successes. But cricket’s law of averages is an unforgiving umpire. When he departs cheaply, the rest of the batting order too often looks short of ideas and shorter on intent.
That brings the debate around Kusal Janith Perera into sharp focus. If the selectors believe KJP belongs in the squad, then he must be in the playing XI. He remains one of the few in the current set-up who can clear the ropes against both pace and spin, a necessity in T20 cricket. Leaving that firepower unused doesn’t make sense.
Charith Asalanka and Kamindu Mendis offer adequate part-time spin options and with the bat both are better suited to the demands of T20 cricket than Dhananjaya de Silva. The Test captain was previously cast in a similar role ahead of the last T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA, a move that failed to deliver dividends and was quietly shelved after the tournament. Curiously, the same experiment has resurfaced, funnily enough, on the eve of another World Cup.
Sri Lanka may well be the only international side juggling three different captains across formats, with all three turning up in the T20 XI. How can that be?
A top order of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, followed by Kusal Perera at number three, gives the batting unit a far more settled look. Crucially, that trio has the ability to maximise the six overs of Powerplay, when the field is up.
Further down the order, Dunith Wellalage at number eight could provide a safety net if there is a collapse. At present, the top order is overly dependent on Nissanka and without Wellalage, the lower order offers precious little resistance once the chips are down.
With a home World Cup around the corner, Sri Lanka need to finalise their combinations rather than shuffle the pack. Experimentation is part of the process, but doing so this close to a global event is a gamble with long odds.
While Sri Lanka have made reasonable strides in Tests and ODIs, the T20 format continues to throw up worrying signs. There was at least a sense of gradual progress under Charith Asalanka and Upul Tharanga, slow, perhaps, but forward. What is unfolding now feels like a return to square one, dusting off old plans that previously backfired and hoping, against evidence, for a different result.
Rex Clementine ✍️
in Dambulla
The less said the better about the circus !
Cricket is a team game and all 11 are expected to contribute.
We cannot make a mockery in both batting and bowling and talk about the failure of a single player.
Not only do we have a multplicity of captains we have also failed to create a nucleus in team building
We also have a plethora of coaches, both local and foreign at significant cost but sans results. Who is fooling whom!