Oman won the toss and elected to bowl against Sri Lanka in their second Group B fixture of the 2026 T20 World Cup at Pallekele on Thursday.

The two sides have met only once before, in an ODI in 2023, which Sri Lanka won comfortably. However, the co-hosts enter this contest without star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who has been ruled out of the tournament — a significant blow to their campaign.

Hasaranga’s 3/25 against Ireland proved decisive earlier in the competition, underlining his importance in the middle overs. His absence leaves a major void in both departments. Sri Lanka have drafted in Dushan Hemantha, a leg-spinning all-rounder and a like-for-like replacement on paper, but filling Hasaranga’s boots will be no easy task.

The responsibility now shifts to Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage to lead the spin attack. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s middle order — already under scrutiny — faces added pressure. Hasaranga had become a dependable contributor with the bat, and without him, the fragility in the lower middle order is more evident. Kamindu Mendis’ recent knock against Ireland has, however, offered some reassurance.

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For Oman, this is a must-win encounter. They sit at the bottom of Group B following their loss to Zimbabwe and need a victory to keep their Super Eight hopes alive. The side will draw confidence from their warm-up win over a Sri Lanka A team.

Speaking ahead of the match, Oman wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla dismissed concerns about crowd pressure.

“I don’t think crowd pressure will affect us. We’ve already played against India in Abu Dhabi, and the boys performed well there. Playing in front of a big crowd actually boosts our team — the players feel more motivated and energised,” Shukla said.

Playing XIs

Oman:
Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (w), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Jay Odedra

Sri Lanka:
Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (w), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana