Phil Salt slams his second T20 World Cup fifty: Stats
What's the story
England opener Phil Salt played a crucial role in ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against Sri Lanka. Despite the team's top order collapsing early, Salt's aggressive half-century kept them in the hunt for a competitive total. He was the only batter who looked comfortable on a dry pitch at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, scoring 62 runs off just 40 balls. Here we look at his performance and stats.
Performance details
Salt's aggressive approach shines through
Salt kept the scoring rate high even as wickets continued to fall at the other end. He was also watchful against the challenging deliveries on the spin-friendly track. None of England's other batters managed a significant score, with Will Jacks's 21 being the highest after Salt. Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage dismissed Salt in a crucial moment of the match, leaving England reeling at 106/6 after 14 overs. The team eventually finished at 146/9.
Match progression
England lose wickets in clusters
After Salt's dismissal, England struggled to build partnerships and lost wickets at regular intervals. Will Jacks added a few runs but couldn't provide the much-needed stability to the innings. Dunith Wellalage was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka, picking up three wickets in his four overs. He dismissed Salt in a crucial moment of the match, leaving England reeling at 106/6 after 14 overs.
Salt
Eighth fifty in T20I cricket
Salt's 62 off 40 balls was laced with six fours and two sixes. This was an important knock from the England star as his previous scores in the ongoing tourney were 28, 2, 30, and 1. Salt has now raced to 1,710 runs from 57 T20Is at an average of 36.38. His strike rate is a stunning 166.50. He owns 12 50-plus scores in the format, including four tons.
Information
Second fifty in T20 WCs
This was his second fifty in T20 WCs, which took his tally to 321 runs from 15 games at 29.18 (SR: 159.70). Against Sri Lanka, he now has 109 runs from three games at 36.33 (50: 1).
Bowling brilliance
Summary of Sri Lanka's bowling attack
Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage was the star of the show with his exceptional bowling performance. He picked up three wickets for 26 runs in four overs. This spell took his T20I tally to 16 scalps at 22.81. Maheesh Theekshana (2/21 in 4 overs) and Dilshan Madushanka (2/25 in 4 overs) also contributed with two wickets each, while Dushmantha Chameera took one wicket (1/34 in 4 overs).