Mishara's 73 runs helped Sri Lanka secure a win that clinched the series

Mishara's 73 runs helped Sri Lanka secure a win that clinched the series

Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe: Sri Lanka clinched the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe with a dominant eight-wicket win in the decisive third match at the Harare Sports Club.

Sri Lanka bounced back in their best form to win the third T20I against Zimbabwe by eight wickets, sealing the series with a 2–1 margin. After a disappointing performance in the second match, where they were bowled out for just 80 runs, the team showed great character and composure to chase down a challenging target of 192. The win not only secured the series but also gave the squad a much-needed boost ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup.

The pitch for this game was far more favourable for batting compared to the previous match, and Sri Lanka’s openers made the most of it. Pathum Nissanka got off to a flying start, attacking Zimbabwe’s left-arm pacer Richard Ngarava with boundaries in the first over and a six and four in the third. Kusal Mendis played a supporting role early on but joined the attack in the fifth over, smashing 18 runs off Blessing Muzarabani. Although Mendis was dismissed in the sixth over, the opening pair had already added 58 runs, and Sri Lanka ended the PowerPlay strongly at 67 for 1.

Zimbabwe briefly found hope when Sikandar Raza bowled Nissanka in the eighth over, but that was the last moment they were truly in the contest. Kamil Mishara and Kusal Perera, who were brought into the XI for this match, took control and stitched together a dominant 117-run partnership. Both batters found boundaries with ease and rotated the strike smartly, keeping the chase smooth and steady. Mishara reached his maiden T20I fifty, and Sri Lanka completed the chase in just 17.4 overs.

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe had started well after being asked to bat first. Tadiwanashe Marumani was aggressive from the start, hitting a four and a six in the second over. Despite losing his opening partner in the third over, Marumani continued to score freely. Sean Williams joined him and helped push the score to 58 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay. Williams was dismissed in the seventh over, but Zimbabwe kept up the scoring rate with Sikandar Raza attacking in the middle overs.

Raza and Marumani shared a 56-run stand before Raza was caught trying to reverse-sweep Dushan Hemantha in the 13th over. Marumani went on to score a fifty but was stumped in the 15th over while trying to keep the momentum going. Despite losing wickets, Zimbabwe continued to score at a good pace. Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, and Tony Munyonga all chipped in with useful cameos. A boundary off the final ball by Ngarava took Zimbabwe to a competitive total of 191 for 8.

Sri Lanka was a bit sloppy in the field, missing a few chances, but those errors didn’t cost them in the end. Their batters made sure the chase was never in doubt, and the team will take plenty of positives from this performance as they prepare for tougher challenges ahead.