SL vs NZ 2nd T20I 2026 Sky Stadium Pathum Nissanka Anchor

Pathum Nissanka's 78 from 54 deliveries at Sky Stadium was the anchor innings Sri Lanka had been waiting for all tour. Combined with a tight middle-overs spell from Wanindu Hasaranga, the visitors levelled the T20I series 1-1 with a 5-wicket win. Here is the recap.

Match summary

Team	Score	Overs	Run rate	Top scorer
New Zealand	168/7	20	8.40	Glenn Phillips 47
Sri Lanka	169/5	19.2	8.74	Pathum Nissanka 78
Result	SL won by 5 wkts	—	—	—

The Nissanka innings

Nissanka opened with Kusal Mendis. The first six overs produced a more cautious 42 for 1, with Nissanka playing himself in against the seam. From the 7th over onwards, the innings opened up. The 50 came off 36 deliveries, and the 78 came in 54 with the chase needing 24 from the last 4 overs at the time of his dismissal.

Power-play numbers

Sri Lanka finished the power play at 47 for 0. Nissanka played the senior role, taking 28 of those runs while Mendis worked the strike with 11 off 13 deliveries. The strike rate of 7.83 across the power play was below the chase rate of 8.40, but the lack of wickets meant the middle overs could be played at full intent.

Middle overs

The 7-15 over phase added 78 runs at a rate of 8.7, with Nissanka and Charith Asalanka rebuilding through the middle. Asalanka's 32 from 24 included three boundaries off the New Zealand spinners, with one premeditated reverse-sweep off Mitchell Santner that beat the deep backward point. The partnership of 53 in 8 overs was the spine of the chase.

Death overs

The 16-20 over phase needed 43 runs, with Sri Lanka still 5 wickets in hand. Dasun Shanaka's 19 from 11 deliveries closed it out, with two sixes including one over wide long-on off Will O'Rourke's wide yorker. The match ended in the 20th over with 4 balls to spare.

New Zealand's innings

The home side's 168 was below par for Sky Stadium. Glenn Phillips' 47 from 32 deliveries was the only individual innings of note, with Daryl Mitchell (28) and Tom Latham (24) adding starts that did not convert. The Sri Lankan bowlers found a length on this Wellington surface that Eden Park had not allowed — a slightly fuller line than usual that took the slower-ball variations into the equation.

The Hasaranga spell

Wanindu Hasaranga's 2 for 21 in 4 overs was the bowling card that capped the New Zealand total. He removed Finn Allen with a googly that Allen mistimed to deep midwicket, and dismissed Mitchell with a slider that took the inside edge onto the stumps. For the wider context, our SL vs NZ 1st T20I Eden Park recap covers the New Zealand opening innings of the series.

What changed from Eden Park

Two things. First, Sri Lanka's opening pair stayed together through the power play, which gave the middle order a platform that Eden Park had not allowed. Second, the bowling lengths shifted. Lahiru Kumara bowled fuller from ball one, and Hasaranga used his slider variation more freely. The combination cut New Zealand's power-play strike rate from over 12 (at Eden Park) to under 9 here.

Player of the match

Pathum Nissanka was the unanimous choice. His 78 was technically clean, tactically appropriate for the conditions, and timed to perfection — the rate climbed exactly as the chase required. Three sixes and seven fours, with a strike rate of 144 against a senior international attack.

Forward look

The third T20I is the decider, and the venue moves to McLean Park in Napier. Both squads are likely to keep the same XIs unless injury intervenes, and the toss is again likely to be the most important moment of the day. New Zealand's home advantage remains, but Sri Lanka have shown they can level any rubber if Nissanka stays at the crease beyond the 12th over.