The atmosphere at the R. Premadasa Stadium (RPS) in Colombo was electric on February 19, 2026, as hosts Sri Lanka faced off against a resilient Zimbabwe in a crucial Group B encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In what was the 38th match of the tournament, the capacity crowd witnessed a masterclass in tactical bowling and explosive hitting, punctuated by a moment of individual brilliance from Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl that turned the tide during the middle overs.

Ryan Burl strikes gold as his sharp leg break traps Kusal Mendis in T20 World Cup 2026 encounter

The highlight of the first innings arrived in the 13th over when Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza turned to his premier leg-spinner, Burl, to break a mounting partnership. Burl struck gold with his very first delivery (12.1).

Giving the ball plenty of air and enticing the batter with a fullish length outside off-stump, Burl’s delivery drifted in before gripping the surface and spinning away devilishly. Kusal Mendis, who had been struggling to find his rhythm with 14 off 20 balls, attempted a loose cover drive. However, the flight deceived him completely; Mendis reached out, lost his balance, and was left stranded as the ball fizzed past the outside edge. Wicketkeeper Tadiwanashe Marumani showed lightning-quick reflexes to whip off the bails, leaving Mendis with no hope of recovery.

This “magical” breakthrough halted Sri Lanka’s momentum just as they reached the 100-run mark. It was a classic leg-spinner’s dismissal, beating the batter in the air and off the pitch, proving once again why Burl remains Zimbabwe’s X-factor in the shortest format.

Here’s the video:

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Pathum Nissanka’s fireworks guide Sri Lanka to a competitive total against Zimbabwe

Earlier in the evening, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat, capitalizing on the Powerplay through a blistering start by Pathum Nissanka. Nissanka was the aggressor-in-chief, smashing 62 off 41 balls, including seven boundaries. He reached his half-century in just 34 deliveries, anchoring the innings while Kusal Perera (22 off 14) provided the early impetus. Together, they propelled the Lions to 54/1 within the first five overs.

Following the dismissal of the openers and the stumping of Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake took the mantle of the finisher. Rathnayake played a vital cameo, scoring 44 off 25 balls at a strike rate of 176.00, ensuring the run rate didn’t dip despite a middle-order wobble caused by the veteran Graeme Cremer (2/27) and Blessing Muzarabani (2/38).

The final five overs were a roller coaster, with Sri Lanka adding 56 runs but losing four wickets in the process. Brad Evans struck twice in the 19th over to remove Rathnayake and Dushan Hemantha on consecutive deliveries, preventing a 190+ total.

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