In the 6th match of the four-nation KCA Centenary Tournament at Nairobi (Gym), on October 4, 1996, Sri Lankan right-hand middle-order batsman Arevinda de Silva played a genuine inning of 122 runs off 116 balls with the help of 12 fours and 2 sixes in reply to Pakistan’s mammoth target of 372.
Mind it, this was the same match in which Shahid Khan Afridi smashed the fastest century with 102 runs off 37 balls, playing in his only 2nd ODI. The records were held for 17 years. Which was later broken by AB de Villiers? Arevinda de Silva came on the crease when Sri Lanka was struggling at 4 for 27.
However, he played a delightful innings to aliven the Sri Lanka chances to beat Pakistan and make the spot in the final on net run rate. But in the end, his efforts were in vain as wickets were tumbling down from the other ends. Pakistan won the match by 82 runs and reached the final due to their better run rate against South Africa. Indeed, Arevinda de Silva’s 122 runs vs. Pakistan at Nairobi in 1996 were memorable innings for him.
Let’s see his lovely attacking innings.
