At a time when Sri Lanka were desperately searching for reliable anchors in their fragile batting line-up, Kamil Mishara rose to the occasion with a match-winning knock that sealed the third and final T20 International against Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Chasing 193 in the decider after a collapse in the previous game, Sri Lanka were under pressure, but Mishara – in tandem with his fellow Royalist Kusal Perera – guided the chase with maturity and flair, steering the side home with eight wickets in hand.
Mishara’s Match-Turning Brilliance
Such was Mishara’s dominance that Sri Lanka crossed the finish line with 14 balls to spare, his whirlwind 73 off 43 balls laced with six boundaries and three towering sixes. Perera, rolling back the years, chipped in with an unbeaten 46 from 26 deliveries to complete the job.
With at least two slots still up for grabs in Sri Lanka’s T20 batting order and the Asia Cup and World Cup looming, selectors had been wringing their hands. Mishara’s timely knock may just ease some of those selection headaches.
From Prodigy To Controversy
The left-hander has long been touted as a prodigy. Hailing from Mahanama Vidyalaya in Panadura before winning a scholarship to Royal College, he sparkled for Sri Lanka Under-19s. But trouble followed him like a shadow. In 2019, he was slapped with a one-year suspended sentence during the Under-19 Asia Cup in Colombo for a disciplinary breach.
Mishara made his senior debut at 21 at the MCG in a T20 against Australia and was later drafted into the Test squad in Bangladesh as a reserve wicketkeeper. But he was sent home in disgrace for breaching the bio-secure bubble, forcing Sri Lanka Cricket to make an example of him with a very public reprimand.
Redemption Arc Begins
Redemption, though, was around the corner. With improved discipline and a mountain of runs for NCC and Sri Lanka ‘A’, he earned a recall – and has now seized his second chance.
Glad to be back in the side and contribute to a series win. We were under pressure after losing the previous game. The batting group discussed rotating strike, keeping the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos rather than swinging for the fences early on.
He credited senior partner Perera for guiding him through the innings.
Kusal was great company. He eased the pressure by dispatching the loose balls. He kept saying if we hit a boundary, target ten runs an over. The key, he reminded me, was sharp running between the wickets.
Eyes on Asia Cup
Sri Lanka now head to Abu Dhabi for a training camp ahead of the Asia Cup, with their opening game against Bangladesh set for Saturday.
Looking forward to carrying this momentum into the Asia Cup and making it count.
