Sri Lanka played their first ever T20 match on June 15, 2006, against England. They became a strong team in the shorter format in the early years of the format. Sri Lanka ended up as runners-up in the 2009 and 2012 T20 World Cups. But they won their maiden T20 World title in 2014 under the leadership of Lasith Malinga.
This team holds many records in this format. One of them is the highest team score in the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka made a mammoth total of 260/6 against Kenya in the 2007 edition, which is also the fourth-highest overall. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has registered two centuries in T20 cricket so far, with Mahela Jayawardene being the first Sri Lankan to do so. In fact, he did it in the 2010 World Cup. So let’s check the list of T20I centuries for Sri Lanka.
List of T20 Centuries by Sri Lanka
| Batter | Score | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahela Jayawardene | 100 (64) | Zimbabwe | Providence | 3 May 2010 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 104* (57) | Australia | Pallekele | 6 Aug 2011 |
1. Mahela Jayawardene – 100 runs vs Zimbabwe in 2010
Sri Lanka started playing T20Is in 2006, but their first ever century came in May 2010. It came in the 2010 T20 World Cup. It was the 7th game of the tournament between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at Providence. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat first. The first inning was entirely led by Mahela Jayawardene. He scored his maiden century off 63 balls. He made 100 runs off 64 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes, to take his team to 173/7.
The next best was Thisara Perera, who scored 23 runs. In the inning break, the rain interrupted the game and Zimbabwe got a target of 44 runs in 5 overs. But they only managed 29/1, and Sri Lanka won that game by 14 runs as per the D/L method. Jayawardene won “Man of the Match” for his century. It is the only century for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup.
2. Tillakaratne Dilshan – 104 not out vs Australia in 2011
The second and last century for Sri Lanka in the T20 format came in August 2011. It came when Sri Lanka locked horns with Australia in Pallekele. It was Australia that won the toss and decided to bowl first. Sri Lanka had a good start with skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan scored quick runs. He scored the fastest century for his country in just 55 balls. Dilshan scored an unbeaten 104 runs off 57 balls, with 12 fours and five sixes.
In his inning, he hit some spectacular shots, including a dilscoop against the likes of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, and Shane Watson. Sri Lanka posted a score of 198/3, which was a challenging total. Chasing the target, Australia couldn’t make a big partnership in the middle. They only reached a total of 163/8 and lost the game by 35 runs. Dilshan’s 104 is still the highest individual score for Sri Lanka in this format.