Pathum Nissanka

Pathum Nissanka announced himself with a century on Test debut in Antigua in 2021, yet for a while he remained a compact accumulator rather than a match-shaper. His front-foot defence was sound, but his scoring options were narrow and bowlers could settle against him. That version of Nissanka has faded. By 2024 he had become Sri Lanka's most reliable limited-overs opener, his square cut crisp and his temperament unhurried, capable of batting deep into an innings without a collapse around him changing his method.

The transformation was striking. His early career was slowed by top-order competition and his own conservative play, but a deliberate shift to aggression in ODIs and T20Is unlocked him. In February 2024 he struck an unbeaten 210 against Afghanistan in Pallekele, the first double century by a Sri Lankan man in ODIs, and later that year his unbeaten 127 at The Oval carried Sri Lanka to a rare Test win in England. Still in his mid-twenties, he has established himself as a pillar of the national side across formats, marrying classical technique with modern scoring intent, though consistency at the highest level remains a work in progress.