Rex Clementine at Dambulla

This year has been nothing short of a joyride for Sri Lanka’s top-order dynamo, Pathum Nissanka. He’s been the man with the Midas touch, transforming matches into memorable wins and notching up milestones as if they were entries on a to-do list. In all formats, Pathum’s consistency has become the backbone of Sri Lanka’s resurgence. Sure, Kamindu Mendis has stolen some of the spotlight, equalling Sir Don Bradman himself—no small feat. But Pathum has quietly carved his own legend, both at home and abroad.

At a recent media briefing, white-ball captain Charith Asalanka confessed that he loves nothing more than watching Pathum bat from the non-striker’s end. “It’s the best seat in the house!” he chuckled, while the rest of us mere mortals have had to settle for the thrill of his strokes from afar. Charith gets the live show, but for everyone else, Pathum’s artistry at the crease has been a masterpiece to behold. Simply put, he’s been phenomenal.

Last year’s World Cup might’ve been a bleak chapter for Sri Lanka, but Pathum was the silver lining, stringing together four half-centuries in a row. This year, he had a rocky start, missing the ODIs against Zimbabwe due to illness. But as soon as he returned, he made his presence felt with a bang against Afghanistan at Pallekele, rewriting the record books. Pathum broke Sanath Jayasuriya’s long-standing record for the highest score by a Sri Lankan in an ODI—a record that had stood tall for nearly 25 years. Not content with merely breaking records, he went ahead and became the first Sri Lankan to hit a double hundred in the 50-over format.

What makes Pathum’s double ton all the more remarkable is his approach. Unlike power hitters like Rohit Sharma, Fakhar Zaman, Chris Gayle, and Virender Sehwag—guys who aim to smash the leather off the ball—Pathum is more a poet than a pugilist. He relies on timing over brute force, threading the ball through fielders like a seamstress working her needle through silk. His innings was a masterclass in finesse, a beautiful blend of elegance and precision.

And Pathum hasn’t confined his magic to ODIs alone. In T20s, he’s been rock solid, but his crowning achievement this year came in the most traditional format—Test cricket. His knock in London marked Sri Lanka’s first Test victory in England in a decade, and Pathum was front and center.

Test cricket is where Pathum first announced his arrival, scoring a century on debut in the Caribbean. But a pesky back injury held him back, limiting his chances. He returned to the Test side this year at Lord’s after a two-year hiatus. By the time they went to the other side of River Thames and reached The Oval, he was unstoppable. He backed up his first-innings fifty with a century in the second, showcasing a performance that felt as timeless as the venue itself.

That century was pure class, a symphony of strokes that left everyone spellbound. In conditions that played right into England’s hands, with a seaming track tailored for their fearsome pace attack, Pathum started cautiously, playing straight and true in the first hour. Then, as if flipping a switch, the drives began flowing. With victory in sight, he even hooked a few short balls, asserting himself and sealing a memorable, come-from-behind triumph for Sri Lanka.

It’s no wonder English counties have already come knocking, eager to bring him on board for a season of County Cricket. And if he keeps going at this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the IPL scouts start scribbling his name onto their lists too.

In recent years, we’ve seen many promising young talents blaze onto the scene only to fizzle out as quickly as they arrived. But Pathum is a different breed. He stays grounded, always flashing that humble smile and quietly determined to be the best he can be. You can’t help but root for him to go places, and with the path he’s on, he certainly will.

Currently, Pathum is leading the pack as the highest run-scorer in ODIs this year. He’s also the highest-ranked Sri Lankan batsman in ODIs, sitting pretty at number seven, and eighth in T20Is. That’s a pretty exclusive club he’s in, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, Travis Head, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jos Buttler. This has truly been Pathum’s year, and something tells us this is just the beginning of his grand adventure.