Pallekele, February 16: Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Mendis has become the first player in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 to hit three consecutive half-centuries in the tournament after hitting his third fifty of the T20 World Cup against Australia at Pallekele International Stadium on Monday. With his half-century, Kusal Mendis has also registered his name in the elite list of cricketers hitting three consecutive half-centuries in the history of T20 World Cup.
Kusal Mendis scored his first half-century of the tournament against Ireland where he scored 56 off just 43 balls. He then scored his second consecutive fifty against Oman where he scored 61 off just 45 balls and today he managed to score 51 off just 38 balls against Australia, setting the tone for the chase in a must-win game for Australia.
Tops Highest Run-Scorers' List
With his three consecutive half-centuries, Mendis has now reached the top spot in the highest run-scorer in the tournament so far. He has now taken over New Zealand opener Tim Seifert by only 1 run. Mendis has scored a total of 168 runs in the tournament so far, while Seifert has managed to score 167 runs.
The half-century against Australia has added his name to the very short list of players who have achieved the feat in the history of the tournament. His name has now been added along with the greats like, Virat Kohli, Matther Hayden, Babar Azam and KL Rahul.
Players With Three Consecutive Fifties
1. Babar Azam (2021) – Achieved the milestone with steady batting displays.
2. KL Rahul (2021) – Recorded three back-to-back fifties in the same tournament.
3. Matthew Hayden (2007) – One of the earliest players to set the benchmark.
4. Virat Kohli (2014) – Delivered three consecutive 50-plus scores in a memorable campaign.
5. Kusal Mendis (2026) – Latest entrant to this elite list.
Virat Kohli holds another special record of the most 50-plus scores in the T20 World Cup history with 15 total fifties to his name.
