Namibia stun Sri Lanka as T20 World Cup begins with massive upset

Sri Lanka's mission to seal a Super 12 berth in the T20 World Cup 2022 took a big blow as a spirited Namibia handed the Asia Cup champions a shocking 55-run defeat in the opening match of the marquee event in Geelong on Sunday.

Sri Lanka were bundled out for 108 in 19 overs in reply to Namibia's 163 for seven. The reigning Asia champions lost four wickets for 40 runs inside seven overs and never quite got back in the game despite skipper Dasun Shanaka stitching a 34-run stand with Bhanuka Rajapaksa for the fifth wicket.

Namibia played as a unit across all three departments. All their bowlers, except skipper Gerhard Erasmus, grabbed a wicket or two. And earlier in the first innings during their batting, five Namibian batters made significant contributions with the bat -- most notably Jan Frylinck with a 28-ball 44 -- after Shanaka won the toss and sent the African nation in to bat.    

The Asia Cup champions were hit by an injury to left-arm quick bowler Dilshan Madushanka and brought in Dushmantha Chameera and Pramod Madushan. Chameera and Madushan were both expensive in their four overs of bowling, having conceded 39 and 37 runs for one and two wickets, respectively.  

The wounded Lankans will now look to move on from the shocking defeat as they are scheduled to face UAE, while Namibia will look to ride on the momentum gained from today's victory, and their last T20 World Cup performances, against Netherlands in the team's Group A fixtures on October 18 after UAE take on Netherlands today. The top two teams -- from Group A and B -- are set to qualify for the main round, the Super 12s, and the runner-up from Group A will be slotted in Group 2 in the Super 12s, where Bangladesh find themselves in.