LPL 2020: Match 3, KAN vs DAM – Shanaka tops six-hitting list, Tyagi's return to T20s and more stats

Dambulla Viiking’s campaign in the Lanka Premier League began on a good note as they edged over Kandya Tuskers by 4 runs on Saturday afternoon. Skipper Dasun Shanaka (73 off 37) and Samit Patel (58) put on 127 for the 3rd wicket in only 10.4 overs as the duo hit 13 fours and six maximums between them to help Dambulla finish on 195/4. Kandy Tuskers raced to 50/1 in just five overs but only 34 runs came in the next 4.4 overs for the loss of two wickets. They were placed at 84/3 in 9.4 overs; four runs behind the DLS par score of 88 when the players walked off due to rain.

Here are all the statistical highlights from the Dambulla’s narrow win during KAN vs DAM game:

Shanaka moves on to the top:

89 – Dasun Shanaka now has struck 89 sixes in the T20 format on Sri Lankan soil; the most number of T20 sixes for any player in Sri Lanka. The all-rounder has gone past Upul Tharanga’s tally of 86 maximums with the four sixes during the KAN vs DAM.

8/10 – Eight of Shanaka’s ten fifty-plus scores in the Twenty20 format came in Sri Lanka only. His T20 batting average of 34.17 in Sri Lanka is currently the highest for any player with 1000+ runs. Shanaka scored 710 runs as a captain alone which came at an average of 50.71 with four fifties and two centuries.

A big partnership between Shanaka and Samit:

127 – Dasun Shanaka and Samit Patel put on 127 for the 3rd wicket which is now the highest T20 partnership in Hambantota for any wicket. The pair went past the 112-run stand between JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis also for the 3rd wicket in the 2013 T20I played against the hosts.

The partnership of 127 between Shanaka and Samit is the 4th biggest for the 3rd wicket in T20s hosted by Sri Lanka and also the 12th biggest for any wicket on the Sri Lankan soil.

Back to back fifties in SL for Samit:

2 – Samit Patel has scored fifties in the previous two T20 matches on the Sri Lankan soil. The all-rounder struck a 38-ball 58 on Saturday and had scored 67 runs during his last appearance in Sri Lanka which was way back in 2012 WT20 against West Indies.

Tyagi returns to T20 cricket:

7y 256d – Sudeep Tyagi, during KAN vs DAM, made his return to the T20 format after seven years and 256 days. Tyagi’s last appearance in T20 cricket came during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2013 where he represented Uttar Pradesh. Tyagi, however, did not get a chance to bat or bowl during his LPL debut.

Tyagi was far away from the longest break between two appearances in Twenty20 cricket for an Indian. Amit Parashar, who has played only five matches in this format thus far, holds the record with a break of 9 years and 14 days. Parashar’s first two T20s were played in the 2010-11 season for Punjab and the next three during the 2019-20 season for the new domestic team Chandigarh.

Milestones for Kusal Mendis:

1010 – Kusal Mendis completed 1000 runs in the Twenty20 format on Sri Lankan soil in only 37 innings. A total of 24 players including Kusal have aggregated 1000 runs in the T20 format in Sri Lanka.

Kusal hit three sixes during KAN vs DAM which got him to 50 sixes in the T20s played in Sri Lanka. He is now one of the 16 players with 50+ T20 sixes on Lankan soil till date.

Naveen @ 50 wickets:

51 – Naveen-ul-Haq completed 50 wickets in the T20 format with the first of two wickets he picked on Saturday. The Afghanistan pacer has 51 wickets at an average of 23.33 in his 47-match T20 career.