BENGALURU: Kusal Perera on Thursday smashed the fastest half-century of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 during Sri Lanka’s match against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

Perera reached his fifty off 22 balls and also scored the joint-second fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in World Cup history.

Angelow Mathews’ 20-ball fifty against Scotland in 2015 is the fastest by a Sri Lankan. Dinesh Chandimal is the other Sri Lankan to score a 22-ball World Cup fifty.

Before Perera Australia’s Travis Head and Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis held the record for the fastest fifties in the ongoing tournament. They scored their fifties off 25 balls against New Zealand and South Africa, respectively.

However, Perera was eventually dismissed by Lockie Ferguson for a 28-ball 51, which included nine fours and two sixes.