South Africa faced little challenge against Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the three-match series, as they registered a comfortable 28-run win at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. They posted 163/5 after opting to bat and restricted Sri Lanka to 135/6.
Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks got South Africa off to an impressive start on a sluggish Premadasa track. They added 73 in 59 balls before Wanindu Hasaranga (2-23) got both in the 10th and 12th overs. Heinrich Klaasen did not last long, and South Africa slipped from 73/0 to 87/3 in no time.
Aiden Markram (48 in 33 balls) and David Miller (26 in 15) took charge from there. They stitched a 65-run stand in 35 balls for the fourth wicket to take South Africa to 152 in 18.5 overs. Dwaine Pretorius (10* in 6) then played a breezy cameo to help his side add another 11 in the final seven balls.
Coming in the chase, Sri Lanka looked lacklustre right from the beginning. They struggled to get going, and wickets at regular intervals did not help them either. Dinesh Chandimal struck a career-best 54-ball 66 not out, but received little support. Charith Asalanka disappointed the most. He took 19 balls for his six before Tabraiz Shamsi (1-20) had him in the 12th over.
Sri Lanka were 105/6 in 16.1 overs, and the chances of winning it from there was little. Coming at no. 8, Chamika Karunaratne smashed a quickfire 14-ball 22 not out, but it was all too late. Had South Africa not dropped five catches, they could finish things off early.
It was the maiden T20I for Keshav Maharaj, and that too, as captain. He returned excellent figures of 4-0-19-1. The two sides will again meet on 12 September for the second T20I, at the same venue.
Brief scores: South Africa 163/5 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 48; Wanindu Hasaranga 2-23) beat Sri Lanka 135/6 in 20 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 66; Keshav Maharaj 1-19) by 28 runs. Player of the Match: Aiden Markram.