Shanaka inflicts stunning run-out in T20 World Cup vs England [Source: X]Sri Lanka’s T20I captain, Dasun Shanaka, was at the centre of attention during the World Cup game against England at the Pallekele Stadium. The host nation had tightened the screws on the scoring rate, as they got rid of Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell in quick succession.The Three Lions, who had defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 before the T20 World Cup, needed something special from the pair of Tom Banton and Phil Salt, but captain Shanaka had some other plans as he inflicted a bullseye throw to dismiss a struggling Banton.England stunned as lazer-sharp throw dismisses BantonBanton came to the crease when England had lost 2 wickets for 32 runs, and the team needed a rescue work from him. The right-handed batter struggled to find the gaps as the Sri Lankan bowlers had choked him up. On his 7th delivery, Banton played it towards the mid-off region as he ran for a quick single to get out of the jail.Shanaka, the skipper, came charging towards the ball as he collected it on the bounce and hit the bullseye towards the non-striker's end. Banton had no choice but to put in a dive, but that effort went in vain as the ball had already hit the stumps, and the English batter was well short of his crease.crictalk @crictalk7 Feb 22, 2026, 3:42 PM The Sri Lankan team and their fans erupted in joy as they had trapped a big fish at the crucial juncture of the game.Banton’s average T20 World Cup run continuesIn the ongoing World Cup, England's management had trusted Tom Banton in the middle-order in place of Ben Duckett. The batter had performed well before the marquee tournament, but that changed as soon as the event started.He started the tournament with scores of 2 and 2 against Nepal and the West Indies, respectively, and was found out against the spinners. However, he roared back amongst the run-getters with a fluid 63* against Scotland, and a decent 30 off 21 against Italy.England needed him the most in their Super 8 fixture against Sri Lanka, and the batter had the opportunity to do wonders, but he failed to deliver the goods and was run-out by Shanaka.Also Read: "Jos Buttler Is FINISHED": Change In England Playing XI Demanded For T20 World Cup StrugglesSo far, he has accumulated 103 runs in five matches, and is yet to justify his talent in the ongoing T20 World Cup.England in deep trouble as team loses half the side vs Sri LankaEngland were unconvincing in the group stage of the T20 World Cup as they barely scraped past Nepal and Italy, and lost against the West Indies. Their bowling had looked lethargic, but the team had a psychological edge over Sri Lanka as the Lions were beaten 3-0 by England recently.However, that all changed as the team lost Jos Buttler cheaply, and it was followed by the big wicket of Jacob Bethell, the man in-form.Banton, Harry Brook, and Sam Curran, too, departed cheaply as the team lost 5 wickets in quick succession, with only Phil Salt, standing tall with a gutsy fifty-run knock.Also Read: Watch- Sri Lanka Captain, Players Scolded Brutally By Umpires On LIVE TV
