Had he scored four more runs in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Match 30 against Afghanistan in Pune, Sri Lankan opening batter Pathum Nissanka would’ve equaled former Australian and Indian captains Steven Smith and Virat Kohli respectively in the list of most consecutive half-centuries in World Cup history.
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Opening the batting with former captain Dimuth Karunaratne (15), Nissanka carry forwarded a form which has aided him in retaining his spot as Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-scorer in the tournament. As assured and risk-free innings saw the right-handed in-form batter contribute 46 (60) with the help of five fours.
On the receiving end of an absolute peach of a delivery by Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, Nissanka couldn’t abort his intention of playing the ball which resulted in him edging it to interim wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz behind the stumps.
Nissanka, who needed another individual half-century to become only the third batter to score five consecutive World Cup half-centuries, will have to wait for another day to join Smith and Kohli as this record can’t be achieved in the following match unlike many other cricketing milestones.
Both modern-day greats, Smith and Kohli’s first World Cup participation had come in 2011. However, the two right-handed batters had registered five 50+ scores in a row in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
Starting with a league match against Afghanistan in Perth, Smith had scored four more scores in excess of 50 against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India and New Zealand. While Smith’s knock against India was eventually converted into a semi-final century, he had become the first-ever batter to achieve this feat in a World Cup-winning final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Kohli, on the other hand, had joined Smith in this rare list four years ago. Having failed to touch the three-figure mark even once during the previous World Cup, the legendary batter had scored five half-centuries against Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, West Indies and England. Post his knock against West Indies, Kohli had become the first Indian captain to score four consecutive World Cup 50+ scores.
Pathum Nissanka Is The Eighth Sri Lankan Batter To Score Four Consecutive 50s
Nissanka, 25, had become the eighth Sri Lankan cricketer to complete four ODI half-centuries in a row on the back of scoring one against England in Bengaluru on Thursday.
It is worth noting that the list already includes some tried and tested names such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal and Karunaratne. While this quintuple has been successful in putting on display five 50+ scores in a row, four successive half-centuries have been scored by Aravinda de Silva, Jayasuriya, Chamara Silva, Sangakkara (thrice) among Sri Lankans.
Playing his first match of 2023 World Cup today, it must be mentioned that Karunaratne had achieved the feat as recent as earlier this year. Only player to score four consecutive ODI centuries, Sangakkara was the only Sri Lankan player before Nissanka to list four back-to-back 50+ scores in a World Cup.
