An exciting match was played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday, England restricted their T20 World Cup a hard-fought victory Sri Lanka. While the series scoreline showed dominance, the final game was a masterclass of spin bowling and low-scoring defence, headlined by moments of pure magic from Sri Lanka’s enigmatic spinners Mahesh Tikshana.

Maheesh Theekshana dismisses Jos Buttler with an unbeatable ball in third T20I match

The highlight of the first innings came in the eighth over when Tikshana produced what many called the delivery of the series. England’s star batsman, If the housekeeperlooking for stability in an inconsistent innings, reached 25 off 21 balls. However, he was completely shocked by a ball that defied the laws of physics usually associated with Texana bowling.

Known for his tight lines and subtle skidding, Theekshana found unexpected advantages on the Pallekele surface. The ball was pitched at perfect length, caught the dusty turf, then “spun a mile,” zipping through the gaping gap between Buttler’s inside edge and the back pad. The ball hit the top off off-stump, leaving the world-class batsman trudging back to the pavilion in disbelief.

After being sent off, Tikshana broke out in his signature “Archer” celebration, shooting an arrow into the sky in imitation of a teammate coming at him. At that moment, England’s score was 47/5 and the crowd in Kandy was the loudest, witnessing a master at work. Theekshana ended his tidy spell with figures of 1/16, proving once again why he remains one of the most difficult enigmatic bowlers to read in the shortest format.

Here is the video:

wicket? ✅ Celebrating? 🏹

Maheesh Teekshana bowls Jos Buttler down then brings the heat with celebrations 🥵 #sonysportsnetwork #SLvENG pic.twitter.com/6syY4ApsdG

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) February 3, 2026

Also read: Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks star in England third T20I, whitewash Sri Lanka

England win 3-0 despite five goals from Dushmantha Chameera

Despite the individual brilliance of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, it was England’s depth and grit that ultimately proved the point. Dushmantha Chameera The first choice for the home team’s attack, he breathed fire and took a career-best 5/24. His clinical bowling restricted England to a total of 128/9, a score that seemed well below par by mid-over. Sam Curran He was the visitors’ lone hero with the bat and earned respect by leading the side with 58 runs off 48 balls.

However, the chase turned out to be a nightmare for the Sri Lankan batsmen. On a surface where the ball continues to grip and spin, England’s spin duo Jacob Bethel and will jacks Turned the game around. Bethel, the young left-arm spinner, bowled a stunning spell of 4/11, which included three wickets demolishing the tail end in one delivery.

Sri Lanka trailed by just 12 runs and were bowled out for 116 in the final over. This win marks an important milestone Harry BrookeThe team swept the series 3-0 in a foreign country. It’s the perfect confidence boost for England ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, while Sri Lanka will be back to work on their batting collapse in spin.

Watch also: Sam Curran takes hat-trick in T20I series opener against Sri Lanka