Sri Lanka vs Australia T20 World Cup Highlights: Pathum Nissanka's century pushes Australia to the brink of elimination

SL vs AUS T20 World Cup Live Score: Pathum Nissanka single handedly won the match for Sri Lanka remaining unbeaten on 100 off 52 balls.

SL vs AUS T20 World Cup Highlights: Even after the dismissal of Mendis, Nissanka did not lose his cool. He stayed their and gradually paced his knock to stay at par with the required rate. Nissanka went to score 100 runs off 52 deliveries and stay unbeaten. He ensured that Sri Lanka wen home by eight wickets with two overs remaining in the game. The defeat meant that Australia will now have to depend on Ireland and Sri Lanka to qualify for the Super 8s.

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis brought Sri Lanka's innings on track in the chase of 182 as they took the attack to Australia after the loss of Kusal Perera in the second over. Earlier, Sri Lanka made a strong comeback, picking up three more wickets in quick succession and changing the momentum of the match. The wickets kept falling at regular intervals, and Australia never got the launch going despite a strong start. In the end, they managed to post 181 runs in 20 overs.

Dasun Shanaka, the captain of the Sri Lankan team, won the toss and invited Australia to bat first. Australia received a big boost before the start of the game as Mitchell Marsh returned to the playing XI. He combined with Travis Head to give Australia a brilliant start. The duo put on 104 runs for the opening stand before Hemantha picked up the wicket of Travis Head. But Head had already scored 56 runs off 29 deliveries before walking back to the dug out.

Australia arrive in Pallekele on February 16, 2026 knowing this isn't one of those we will take the positives from the game nights - it is the kind where the tournament either stays alive or starts slipping through the fingers. Co-hosts Sri Lanka have begun Group B like a team that's memorised the script: two wins, a swollen net run-rate, and one more result that can effectively shove the into the Super Eights conversation with authority.

Australia, though, are living on the edge after an early stumble, and the build-up has been noisy: Steve Smith has been officially drafted in for the injured Josh Hazlewood, while Mitchell Marsh's fitness has hovered as a subplot in the selection chatter.

In a group where momentum has already picked its favourites, this one feels less like a fixture and more like a referendum - on Australia's depth, Sri Lanka's control at home, and who handles pressure when the margins go from thin to invisible.

Playing XIs -

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Tim David, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

Squads -

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Pramod Madushan