Pathum Nissanka overtakes Sanath Jayasuriya to script history

Pathum Nissanka wrote his name in the book of Sri Lankan cricket history on February 9th, becoming the first player from the nation to score a double century in ODIs. His unbeaten 210 against Afghanistan shattered the previous record held by Sanath Jayasuriya for 24 years.

Overtaking the 24-year-old record set by Sanath Jayasuriya in the first ODI against Afghanistan for the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan batter. Nissanka dominated Afghanistan at Pallekele, carving 20 boundaries and 8 sixes in his 139-ball masterpiece. This innings surpassed Jayasuriya’s 189 runs scored in 2000, marking a new milestone for Sri Lankan batting.

Pathum Nissanka brought up the first double-century by a batter from the country as the team defeated Afghanistan by 42 runs. His innings were laced with 20 boundaries and 8 sixes, and it’s a record that will stand the test of time for years or might even decades to come. His previous best score was 137 against Australia in 2022, his only other ODI century at home.

Jayasuriya, an all-time great, scored 189 runs off 161 balls in a tri-series final against India in 2000 in Sharjah. Jayasuriya could well have gone on to score a double century in that game itself, only for Sourav Ganguly to dismiss him on the first ball of the 49th over.

Not only did Nissanka’s knock rewrite the Sri Lankan record, but it also propelled him into the elite company of players that includes Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, and Martin Guptill with ODI double centuries.

Here is the list of Highest Individual Scores by a Sri Lankan Batsman in ODIs.