Sri Lanka's top 3 batting performances in 2023 ODI World Cup ft. Kusal Mendis
Sri Lanka ended their ICC men's ODI World Cup 2023 on the worst possible note after their heavy defeat against New Zealand in Match 41 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, November 9.
After being put to bat first, Sri Lanka could only get to 171 in the first innings. New Zealand hunted down the total with ease as they reached the target with five wickets and 160 balls remaining.
With their humbling defeat, Sri Lanka finished their 2023 World Cup campaign with four back-to-back losses. Their spot for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is also now in jeopardy, with their current position on the table being ninth with a negative net run rate of -1.419.
Despite a few injury scares, Sri Lanka came into the tournament with a huge promise. They recently made it to the Asia Cup 2023 final as well and had enough resources to go deep in the World Cup. However, they could only win two games out of nine and proved to be one of the most underperforming teams in the tournament.
Their batting group started the World Cup strongly, putting up scores of 325+ in back-to-back matches, albeit in losing causes. Having said that, Sri Lanka also put up the unwanted record of posting the lowest total of the tournament after they got bundled out for a mere 55 in a game against India in Mumbai.
Amidst their start-stop campaign, there were a few individual batting performances that shone brightly. On that note, here are Sri Lanka's three best batting knocks in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
#3 108 off 105 - Charith Asalanka vs Bangladesh in Delhi (Match 38)
![Charith Asalanka after his 100 in Delhi vs Bangladesh [Getty Images] .](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/34774-16996205163300-1920.jpg?w=500)
The match, which would be remembered for Angelo Matthews' 'timed-out' dismissal, saw Charith Asalanka smash a remarkable century.
In Match 38 against Bangladesh in Delhi, Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother. While batting first, they lost half of their side with only 135 runs on the board. Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva remained the only recognisable batting pair.
The two stitched up a much-needed partnership of 78 runs for the sixth wicket. Asalanka, in particular, was positive right from the start and pulled his team out of trouble.
On small-sized boundaries in Delhi, Asalanka played some sumptuous lofted strokes and hit six fours and five sixes during his knock. Due to the fact that none of the other Lankan batters even reached the 50-run mark, Asalanka's 108 was worth its weight in gold.
The left-hander guided his team to 279 in the first innings. Unfortunately for Asalanka, his team couldn't defend the total as Bangladesh finished the chase with three wickets and 53 balls in hand.
#2 91* off 107 - Sadeera Samarawickrama vs Netherlands in Lucknow (Match 19)
![Sadeera Samarawickrama after his fifty vs NED [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/f6bd5-16996216238212-1920.jpg)
Sri Lanka faced the Netherlands after the Dutch side bamboozled the South African outfit in a historic game earlier in the tournament.
The Scott Edwards-led side eyed another upset, but Sadeera Samarawickrama stood between them as he guided Sri Lanka to their first win of the tournament.
Batting first, the Netherlands made 262 on the board on the back of Sybrand Engelbrecht's 70. While it wasn't a 300+ total, it was certainly a good score on the Lucknow surface, which aided spin bowling.
In reply, Sri Lanka lost both Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis inside the powerplay. Soon, Pathum Nissanka also lost his wicket after a well-made 54. With the Dutch side applying pressure on the batters, Sri Lanka desperately needed someone to hold on to one end and rebuild the innings.
Sadeera Samarawickrama came to the rescue for his side and guided Sri Lanka to a win by scoring an unbeaten 91. The pitch was offering quite a lot of turn, and Samarawickrama, with his rock-solid technique, remained steadfast on the crease.
He got to his fifty in just 53 balls and played some exquisite strokes during his stay. He kept going even after his half-century and hit boundaries from time to time.
It was an innings of great composure from the No. 4 batter on a pitch that demanded it from the batters. While the Dutch bowlers did fight all the way, Samarawickrama's assured knock of 91 took Sri Lanka home.
#1 122 off 77 - Kusal Mendis vs Pakistan in Hyderabad (Match 8)
![Kusal Mendis vs Pakistan [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/c425a-16996244304842-1920.jpg)
In one of the best group-stage encounters of the tournament, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were involved in a run-fest at the Rajiv Gandhi international Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
It was Match 9 of the competition, where Sri Lanka opted to bat first. Kusal Perera lost his wicket early on which led Kusal Mendis to enter the crease.
Mendis, alongside Pathum Nissanka, steadied the ship for Sri Lanka and ended the powerplay at 58/1. Following the powerplay, both batters tried to keep the momentum going, but Nissanka lost his wicket after a well-made 51.
In the meantime, Mendis also got to his fifty in 40 balls. However, as soon as he reached his half-century, Mendis led the charge and began his onslaught on the Pakistani bowlers.
Showcasing his wide range of shots, Mendis raced from 50 off 40 to 100 off 65 balls, which proved to be the fastest ODI World Cup century for Sri Lanka. Against a top-quality bowling attack of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali, Mendis didn't back down and hit boundaries for fun.
His entertaining innings of 122 came to an end when he was holed out on the boundary off Hasan Ali's bowling. However, Mendis smashed two consecutive sixes just prior to his dismissal.
Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, Mendis' 122 remained his last great knock of the tournament as his form dipped big time in the rest of the games. The wicket-keeper batter could only make 96 runs in his next seven innings.