Watch: Kasun Rajitha hit an astonishing no-look pull shot off Marco Jansen in Sri Lanka’s opening match of the World Cup against South Africa today (October 7), hitting him flat over mid-on for six.

Sri Lanka were already out of the run chase by the time Rajitha came into bat at No.9. Aiden Markram had hit the fastest-ever World Cup century in South Africa’s innings, and the Proteas had set Sri Lanka 429 to win – the highest-ever total in World Cups. Rajitha came out when Sri Lanka needed another 196 runs from 18 overs with only three wickets remaining.

That didn’t prevent him and Dasun Shanaka at the other end from giving it a good go, however. Shanaka at one point hit Gerald Coetzee for five consecutive boundaries to reach a half-century. Once Shanaka was out for 68 off 62 balls, Rajitha took over the scoring mantle.

He hit Jansen for three fours in his ninth of the innings and followed up with another boundary of the second ball of his final over. Having reached 25 off as many balls, Rajitha played the audacious pull shot.

He stepped away from a short ball from Jansen which was angled in towards his shoulders. As the ball came closer, he turned his head away and swatted at it with his bat, swiveling on his left foot and turning 180 degrees. Despite not being in control of the shot, the ball pinged off the middle of his bat and flew over mid-on. It sailed over the boundary and into the crowd to give Rajitha his first (and only) maximum of the innings.

Jansen’s final three balls passed without any further boundaries, and he finished with expensive figures of 2-92. Rajitha was eventually out to Coetzee for 33, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 326.

Watch: Kasun Rajitha plays no-look pull shot to Marco Jansen

 

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