Pathum Nissanka was dropped no less than four times. How many cricketers ever get such luck? And this isn’t the first time something like this has happened—there have been two earlier instances. England’s Jason Roy and Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez had also enjoyed such fortune in the past.
Nissanka did not let these repeated chances go to waste. The right-hander went on to score his 17th ODI half-century. This was also his second consecutive fifty in the ongoing Asia Cup—he had already notched one against Bangladesh earlier. His half-centuries have laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s victories in both games.
Pathum Nissanka is a crucial member of the Sri Lankan side. He consistently influences the outcome of matches for the Lankans. In recent times, the majority of Sri Lanka’s top-order runs have come from his bat, particularly since their Asia Cup triumph in 2022. Yet, Hong Kong dropped him four times in this match—and each miss only tightened Sri Lanka’s grip on the contest.
Even then, it wasn’t a walk in the park. With seven balls to spare, Sri Lanka finally reached the winning target. Chasing 150, they lost six wickets along the way. Hong Kong did manage to put Sri Lanka under pressure.
That pressure could have doubled had Pathum been dismissed early. His first life came when he was batting on 24—although the chance was admittedly tough. He was dropped again at 40. When he reached 63, another catch went down, which even ran away for four.
Before finally being run out for 68, Nissanka received a fourth reprieve. Had Hong Kong not gifted him that many lives, Sri Lanka’s fragile middle order might have been exposed much earlier. On such a bleak day for the middle order, Hong Kong could well have written history. But in the end, it wasn’t to be.
