On Thursday, January 2, Sri Lanka’s wicket-keeper batter Kusal Perera etched his title in cricketing historical past by smashing an awe-inspiring century within the third T20I of the Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2024-25 at Saxton Oval, Nelson. Perera’s explosive knock of 101 off simply 46 balls, laced with 13 fours and 4 towering sixes, not solely led his crew to an exciting 7-run victory but in addition earned him the title of Participant of the Match. This feat locations him in an elite membership of Sri Lankan legends who’ve achieved centuries in T20 internationals.
Listing of Sri Lankan T20I centurions
Mahela Jayawardene
The primary Sri Lankan to realize a T20I century was the legendary Mahela Jayawardene. Identified for his elegant stroke play throughout all codecs, Jayawardene reached this milestone on Could 3, 2010, throughout the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup. Enjoying in opposition to Zimbabwe at Windfall, he crafted a powerful 100 off 64 balls, together with 10 fours and 4 sixes. His century was instrumental in securing a 14-run victory for Sri Lanka, cementing his legacy as one of many best batters within the recreation.
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Tillakaratne Dilshan
The second Sri Lankan to attain a T20I century was the versatile opener Tillakaratne Dilshan. On August 6, 2011, throughout the Australia tour of Sri Lanka, Dilshan smashed an unbeaten 104 off 57 balls in Kandy. His innings, that includes 12 fours and 5 sixes, helped Sri Lanka safe a commanding 35-run victory. Identified for his aggressive type and progressive pictures, Dilshan’s century additional solidified his fame as a T20 specialist.
Kusal Perera
Within the newest chapter of Sri Lanka’s T20I historical past, Perera’s scintillating knock in opposition to New Zealand not solely introduced victory but in addition positioned him among the many greats. With this innings, Perera joins Jayawardene and Dilshan within the elite membership of Sri Lankan T20I centurions. His record-breaking efficiency underscores his capability to rise to the event and ship when it issues most.
Perera’s century marks solely the third occasion of a Sri Lankan batter reaching the three-figure mark in T20Is, making him a standout performer within the format. The 34-year-old’s sensible innings comes over 13 years after the final Sri Lankan T20I century, additional highlighting the importance of his achievement. Perera’s constant performances reaffirm his standing as Sri Lanka’s main run-scorer within the T20I format with 2056 runs.