Pathum Nissanka Stats: Career Runs, Averages, and Records Across All Formats (2021–2026)

Pathum Nissanka's stats across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is show a batter who has steadily improved in every format since his international debut in March 2021. As of August 2026, he holds 4 Test hundreds, 7 ODI hundreds, and a T20I ranking of #5 in the world.

Who Is Pathum Nissanka?

Born on May 18, 1998, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka is a right-handed top-order batter who made his international debut across all three formats against West Indies in March 2021.

According to Wikipedia, he arrived at the international level with a first-class average already above 67, which made his selection straightforward once Sri Lanka's selectors turned their attention to the top of the order.

He plays for Sri Lanka nationally and has represented Delhi Capitals in the IPL, Gulf Giants in the ILT20, and multiple franchises in the Lanka Premier League. He was signed by Delhi Capitals for INR 4 crore at the 2026 IPL auction.

What makes his numbers interesting is the trajectory. He started out labeled as a Test specialist, given his relatively modest T20I strike rate early in his career. That picture has changed considerably since 2024.

Pathum Nissanka Stats: Career Summary Across All Formats

The table below covers Pathum Nissanka's batting stats across all international and domestic formats, updated to August 2026.

Pathum Nissanka Career Batting Stats

His ODI average of 41.08 across 79 matches is his most consistent international number. The T20I average of 30.67 looks ordinary on its own, but paired with a strike rate of 128.58, it tells a more useful story about his value in that format.

Pathum Nissanka ICC Rankings

Pathum Nissanka ICC Batting Rankings (as of August 2026)

His T20I ranking of #5 is the standout figure here. For a batter who was considered primarily a Test and ODI player as recently as 2023, a top-5 global T20I ranking reflects how significantly his game has shifted over the last two years.

Pathum Nissanka Test Stats

Nissanka has played 19 Tests, scoring 1,310 runs at a Pathum Nissanka batting average of 42.25. His highest Test score is 187. He has scored 4 hundreds and 7 fifties across 33 innings, with 0 ducks, which is an unusual clean record at this level.

His Test strike rate of 56.68 is in line with what you would expect from a top-order batter playing in Asian conditions, where scoring rates tend to be more conservative. In practice, top-order batters in subcontinent Tests who average above 40 across their first 15 to 20 Tests are generally considered to have established themselves at that level.

Test Centuries

He became the fourth Sri Lankan to score a century on Test debut and the first to do so away from home. His 4 Test hundreds are spread across his career since 2021, with his first coming in his debut match against West Indies in Antigua.

Test Bowling Stats

Nissanka has not bowled in Tests. His first-class bowling record shows 6 balls bowled with 0 wickets, making him a specialist batter with no meaningful bowling contribution at this level.

Pathum Nissanka ODI Stats

Nissanka has scored 2,999 runs in 79 ODIs at a Pathum Nissanka batting average of 41.08 and a strike rate of 89.09. His highest score is 210* against Afghanistan, scored on February 9, 2024.

As reported by BBC Sport, that innings made him the first Sri Lanka batter to score a double one-day international century, with his unbeaten 210 off 139 balls including 20 fours and eight sixes, and ranked as the joint fifth-highest individual score in ODI history at the time.

ODI Centuries

He has 7 Pathum Nissanka ODI centuries and 19 fifties. Back-to-back centuries in the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifiers, against Zimbabwe and West Indies, were a sign of a batter capable of producing big scores in high-stakes games. His maiden ODI century came against Australia in 2022.

ODI Bowling Stats

No bowling figures in ODIs. He has bowled 18 balls in List A cricket across 121 matches, conceding 14 runs without taking a wicket.

Pathum Nissanka T20I Stats

This is where Nissanka's numbers tell the most interesting story. His overall T20I average is 30.67 across 94 matches, with a Pathum Nissanka T20I strike rate of 128.58 and a highest score of 107 against India on September 26, 2025.

T20I Strike Rate: Pre-2024 vs Post-2024

Before 2024, Nissanka's T20I strike rate sat at approximately 112. Since January 2024 through the end of the 2026 T20 World Cup in February 2026, that figure climbed to 143.65. That is not a minor adjustment. It reflects a deliberate change in how he approaches the format.

He has added the lap scoop and reverse sweep to his game, which has helped him score more freely against both pace and spin. Analysts who track batting data commonly point to boundary frequency as the key metric in this kind of transformation, and Nissanka's numbers back that up.

Pathum Nissanka T20I Strike Rate Progression

T20I Centuries

He has 2 T20I hundreds. One came against India, and the other was a 52-ball century against Australia during the 2026 T20 World Cup, which made him the first Sri Lankan batter to record multiple T20I hundreds.

Recent T20I Form (Last 20 Innings)

Pathum Nissanka Recent T20I Form Log

The form log shows a pattern that most cricket analysts recognise in aggressive top-order batters: big scores appear sporadically, interspersed with low scores that reflect the risk profile the batter accepts.

His 100 off 52 balls against Australia, followed by a string of low scores at the same tournament, is a reasonable reflection of what high-strike-rate batting looks like across a full campaign.

Year-by-Year Statistical Progression

No competitor currently provides this breakdown. The table below shows how Nissanka's numbers have changed year on year across formats.

Pathum Nissanka Year-by-Year Batting Progression

Note: Year-by-year figures are derived from cumulative career data and recent match logs. Individual year breakdowns may carry minor rounding variation.

The clearest trend here is the T20I strike rate. It moves from 108 in 2021 to consistently above 140 from 2024 onward. The ODI average also shows a meaningful improvement, crossing 50 in both 2024 and 2025 after sitting below 40 in his first two international years.

Pathum Nissanka Franchise T20 Stats

Franchise T20 Career Stats

His ILT20 numbers stand out. A strike rate of 186.92 across 6 matches for Gulf Giants is the kind of number that explains why franchise cricket has come calling across multiple leagues.

The IPL figures are more modest, though a strike rate of 158.85 across 10 matches for Delhi Capitals is still above the format average for Sri Lanka opener stats in that competition.

Pathum Nissanka First-Class and List A Stats

His domestic numbers provide useful context for understanding why he was fast-tracked into international cricket.

First-Class and List A Career Summary

A first-class average of 56.25 from 60 matches is a strong domestic record. Players who arrive at international cricket with numbers in that range typically have a better conversion rate than those pushed up early. Nissanka's 19 first-class hundreds support the idea that his technique was well-suited to longer formats from the start.

Career Records and Milestones

• First Sri Lankan batter to score a Test century on debut away from home (103 vs West Indies, Antigua, 2021)
• First Sri Lankan batter to score an ODI double hundred (210* vs Afghanistan, February 9, 2024)
• First Sri Lankan batter to record multiple T20I hundreds
• Scored a 52-ball T20I century against Australia at the 2026 T20 World Cup
• 0 ducks in 33 Test innings
• Signed by Delhi Capitals for INR 4 crore at the 2026 IPL auction

What's often overlooked is the Test debut record. Scoring a hundred on Test debut is rare. Doing it away from home, in the Caribbean, is rarer still.

Pathum Nissanka vs Other Sri Lankan Top-Order Batters

To put his numbers in context, here is how Nissanka's international batting stats compare with recent Sri Lankan top-order batters.

Nissanka vs Sri Lanka Top-Order Batters (International Career Stats)

Note: Comparative figures for other players are based on career data available as of mid-2026. Exact figures may vary by source.

Nissanka's ODI and T20I numbers position him as Sri Lanka's most complete batting option across formats at present. His Test average of 42.25 is competitive, and his Pathum Nissanka ICC ranking of #5 in T20Is globally is the clearest indicator of his current standing in white-ball cricket.

Career Timeline

Pathum Nissanka Debut and Last Match by Format

His entire international career has been built against a wide range of opposition, but it is notable that both his debut series and his most recent international series have been against the same team.

Conclusion

Pathum Nissanka's stats show a batter who has improved in every format since 2021. His ODI average of 41.08, T20I ranking of #5, and a world-record ODI score of 210* define where he currently stands. The strike rate shift since 2024 is the most telling number in his whole record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pathum Nissanka's Test batting average?

His Test batting average is 42.25 across 19 matches and 33 innings, with 4 hundreds and 7 fifties. He has not been dismissed for a duck in Test cricket.

How many ODI centuries has Pathum Nissanka scored?

He has scored 7 ODI hundreds, with a highest score of 210* against Afghanistan in February 2024. That innings made him the first Sri Lankan to score an ODI double hundred.

What is Pathum Nissanka's T20I strike rate?

His overall T20I strike rate is 128.58. Since the start of 2024 through February 2026, that figure improved to 143.65, reflecting a significant shift in his approach to the format.

What ICC ranking does Pathum Nissanka hold?

As of August 2026, he is ranked #5 in T20I batting, #15 in ODIs, and #25 in Tests. His best-ever T20I ranking is #3.

Has Pathum Nissanka scored a T20I hundred?

Yes. He has scored 2 T20I hundreds, including a 52-ball century against Australia at the 2026 T20 World Cup. He is the first Sri Lankan batter to score multiple T20I hundreds