Australia on brink of World T20 exit after Nissanka's 'superman' catch and dazzling hundred

PALLEKELE — Pathum Nissanka produced the performance of his life to leave the defending champions staring at an early flight home, as Sri Lanka surged into the Super Eights with an eight-wicket demolition of Australia that felt every bit as emphatic as the scoreboard suggested.

The 27-year-old opener etched his name across the tournament in indelible ink, first flinging himself horizontally at mid-wicket to remove Glenn Maxwell with a catch instantly christened “superman” on social media, then backing it with an unbeaten 100 from just 52 balls that turned a tricky chase of 182 into a procession completed with 12 balls to spare.

Australia, who began the night believing a win would steady their wobbling campaign, instead find themselves relying on a convoluted sequence of results merely to scrape out of Group B. Even an Ireland victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday may only postpone the inevitable; Mitch Marsh’s side must then thump Oman and trust Sri Lanka to deny Zimbabwe, all while reversing a net run-rate that now sits in the red.

“I haven’t got much to say other than Sri Lanka outplayed us,” a hollow-eyed Marsh admitted in the dusk of Pallekele. “We are a devastated group and it’s in the lap of the gods now.”

The tone for the ambush was set in the third over of Australia’s innings when Nissanka soared to his right, arms fully extended, to intercept Maxwell’s rasping pull. The ball stuck, the crowd erupted, and Maxwell trudged off as the social-media artists went to work, super-imposing a red cape on the flying Sri Lankan.

Yet Australia, cruising at 104 without loss after 8.2 overs, still appeared set for a total well beyond 200. Travis Head’s departure triggered a collapse of staggering proportions: the last five wickets crashed for seven runs in 14 balls, the innings closing at 181 – at least 25 short of par on a belting surface.

Marcus Stoinis struck early with the ball, removing Kusal Perera, but any lingering Australian optimism was obliterated by Nissanka’s blade. He peppered the leg-side boundary with disdain, clearing it five times, and threaded ten fours through the off-side in an exhibition of placement and power. Without the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s attack lacked bite, and Sri Lanka galloped home to spark celebrations that stretched from the dressing-room balcony to the Colombo fan parks.

For the six-time ODI world champions, the ramifications are sobering. Australia have won only one T20 global title – in Dubai five years ago – and have now left themselves on the cusp of just their second group-stage exit in 23 World Cup campaigns across both formats. Finger-pointing has already begun, centring on the decision to rest front-liners for the pre-tournament series in Pakistan and the late recall of Steve Smith, who remained on drinks duty in Pallekele.

Sri Lanka, by contrast, march on buoyed by a marquee win in front of their own fans, Nissanka’s heroics ensuring the co-hosts will take momentum into the Super Eights. For Australia, the maths is bleak and the mood bleaker; they now watch scoreboards rather than control them, a position no reigning champion ever envisages.