**Nissanka Breaks Virat Kohli’s T20 Asia Cup Record**

*By Gaurav Tripathi | Sep 27, 2025, 10:42 AM*

Sri Lanka’s star opener, Pathum Nissanka, has etched his name in the history books by breaking Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli’s record for the most 50-plus scores in the T20 Asia Cup.

### Record-Breaking Performance

The milestone came during a thrilling Super-Four encounter at Dubai International Stadium on Friday. Nissanka reached his half-century in just 25 balls and went on to complete his century off only 52 deliveries. His unbeaten 107 runs came off 58 balls in a match that ended in a tie.

This innings marked Nissanka’s fifth 50-plus score in the tournament over 12 innings, surpassing Kohli’s record of four 50-plus scores in nine innings. Other notable players close to this record include Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan (three 50-plus scores in six innings), Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis (three in 12 innings), and India’s Abhishek Sharma (three in six innings).

In a nod to Kohli’s famous celebration, Nissanka saluted his century with the iconic ‘keep talking’ hand gesture—replicating Kohli’s celebration in Perth against Australia in 2018.

### Additional Achievements

Nissanka became only the fourth Sri Lankan to score a T20I century, and the third batter overall, after Kohli and UAE’s Babar Hayat, to achieve this feat in the T20 Asia Cup.

His superb innings enabled Sri Lanka to chase down a challenging target of 203, with the match eventually being decided in a Super Over where India came out on top.

Together with Kusal Perera, Nissanka forged a massive 127-run partnership—the highest for any wicket in T20 Asia Cup history. This partnership broke the previous record of 119 runs set by Kohli and KL Rahul against Afghanistan in 2022.

### Historic Milestone

Nissanka’s century also stands as the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in T20 Internationals against India. It was his maiden T20I century, which underlines his growing stature and consistency in this format, particularly in high-pressure tournaments like the Asia Cup.

### Career Highlights

Having played 74 T20I matches, Nissanka has amassed 2,211 runs at an average of 31.58, including one century and 17 fifties. Across all T20 matches, he boasts 3,933 runs at an average of 29.13, with two centuries and 28 half-centuries.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Nissanka recently crossed the milestone of 100 sixes in T20 cricket, reaching 105 sixes overall. Of these, 59 have come in T20Is representing Sri Lanka.

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Pathum Nissanka’s stellar performance and record-breaking feats highlight his importance to Sri Lankan cricket and his rise as one of the premier batters in T20 cricket today.
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