Sri Lanka wrapped up a 2–0 ODI series victory over Zimbabwe after a composed century from opener Pathum Nissanka powered them to a five-wicket win in Harare on Sunday.
Zimbabwe, sent in to bat first, posted 277/7 in their 50 overs, with Ben Curran top-scoring with a gritty 79 off 95 balls. Late fireworks from Sikandar Raza (59* off 55) lifted the total past 270, while contributions from Clive Madande (36), skipper Sean Williams (20), and veteran Brendan Taylor (20) gave the innings depth.
Sri Lanka’s seamers kept things under control, with Dushmantha Chameera leading the attack with figures of 3/52. Asitha Fernando (2/67) and Dilshan Madushanka (1/57) chipped in to keep Zimbabwe from breaking free earlier in the innings.
A Classy Nissanka Anchors the Chase
Chasing 278, Sri Lanka relied heavily on Nissanka’s elegant 122 off 136 balls, which featured 16 boundaries and anchored the innings despite early hiccups. Quick dismissals of Nuwanidu Fernando (14) and Kusal Mendis (5) left Sri Lanka on shaky ground, but Sadeera Samarawickrama’s steady 31 provided some breathing space.
The turning point came when Nissanka partnered with captain Charith Asalanka, whose aggressive 71 off 61 balls tilted momentum firmly toward the visitors. Even after Nissanka’s dismissal in the 45th over, Sri Lanka remained composed, with Janith Liyanage (19* off 16) and Kamindu Mendis (5* off 2) sealing the win with three balls to spare.
Zimbabwe’s bowling was spearheaded by Richard Ngarava (2/53) and Brad Evans (2/54), but they couldn’t break key partnerships at crucial stages.
Series Takeaways
Sri Lanka’s 2–0 sweep highlighted their growing depth, with Nissanka once again proving his reliability at the top of the order. Zimbabwe, despite the loss, showed resilience with the bat but lacked the cutting edge in the field to defend a competitive total.
The victory also gives Sri Lanka momentum heading into upcoming white-ball fixtures, while Zimbabwe will look to regroup after letting promising positions slip in both matches.