Sanath Jayasuriya's T20 World Cup record broken as  43-year-old Oman veteran stuns the world

Mohammad Nadeem scripts new record in T20 World Cup 2026 [Source: @imArshit, @Khanmohammed12/X.com]

Oman's Mohammad Nadeem created history at the T20 World Cup 2026 despite his team's 105-run loss to Sri Lanka at Pallekele. At 43 years and 161 days old, Nadeem became the oldest player ever to score a fifty in any men's T20 World Cup. 

He smashed a record that had stood for 30 years, previously held by Netherlands cricketer Flavian Aponso. Nadeem's knock of 53 off 56 balls also broke Sanath Jayasuriya's T20 World Cup-specific record.

Mohammad Nadeem rewrites history books

The veteran walked out to bat in the second over with Oman chasing a massive 226. Mohammad Nadeem remained unbeaten through the entire innings, anchoring a hopeless chase with a fighting half-century. 

His 53 runs came off 56 balls with a 94.16 strike rate. He also hit three boundaries and one six. It wasn't flashy, but it was historic.

At 43 years and 161 days, Mohammad Nadeem became the oldest player to score a fifty in any men's senior ICC tournament. 

The previous record belonged to Flavian Aponso of the Netherlands, who was 43 years and 121 days old when he scored 58 against Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup in Lahore.

Oldest Players To Score Half-Century In ICC Men's T20 World Cup History

• Mohammad Nadeem - 43 Years, 161 Days, 2026
• Sanath Jayasuriya - 39 Years, 345 Days, 2009
• Shoaib Malik - 39 Years, 279 Days, 2021

For T20 World Cups specifically, Mohammad Nadeem broke Sanath Jayasuriya's record. The Sri Lankan legend was 39 years and 345 days when he smashed 81 against the West Indies in Nottingham during the 2009 edition. 

Ironically, Jayasuriya was right there at Pallekele as Sri Lanka's head coach, watching his record get broken.  

Shoaib Malik held the third spot on the list. He was 39 years and 279 days when he scored 54 against Scotland in Lahore in 2021.

An unwanted record was on the cards too

Nadeem's achievement came with a footnote he probably didn't want. He took 52 balls to reach his fifty, making it the joint-slowest half-century in T20 World Cup history.

The other player with this unwanted record is Mohammad Rizwan, who took 52 balls against Canada in 2024. In a format where strike rates matter, this isn't ideal.

But given the situation Oman were in, Mohammad Nadeem's approach made sense. His team was getting demolished. Someone had to stay out there and at least try to put up some resistance. 

Sri Lanka had posted 225/5 with Kusal Mendis scoring 61, Pavan Rathnayake hitting 60, and Dasun Shanaka smashing 50. The target was always out of reach for Oman.

Mohammad Nadeem - A lone warrior in a hopeless chase

Oman's batting completely collapsed chasing 226. Apart from Mohammad Nadeem and Wasim Ali, who made 27, not a single player even reached double figures.

Nadeem came in at number four and had to watch wickets tumble around him. Aamir Kaleem was out for 6. Captain Jatinder Singh managed just 1. Hammad Mirza scored 9, and the top order crumbled inside six overs.

Wasim Ali gave Mohammad Nadeem some company with a quick 27 off 20 balls that included three sixes. They added 42 runs together before Ali fell to Maheesh Theekshana. After that, Nadeem was on his own again.

The lower order couldn't stick around. Vinayak Shukla, Jiten Ramanandi, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, and Shah Faisal combined for just 5 runs. Only Jay Odedra provided a bit of resistance at the end with 4 runs off 12 balls.

Oman finished at 120/9 in their 20 overs. They lost by 105 runs. But Nadeem's innings stood out in the wreckage.