Former Pakistan captain and PCB chief Ramiz Raja has lauded Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka for not reacting to the wide-ball controversy during the recent Sri Lanka v. Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s game. He even compared Shanaka to the great Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

The Sri Lanka T20I captain scored a scorching fifty and, with 28 needed from Shaheen Afridi's penultimate over, smacked a four followed by three consecutive sixes to revive his team's dwindling hopes.

With six runs needed from the last two deliveries, Shanaka attempted a reverse scoop across the stumps. Afridi pulled the ball outside off, and Shanaka missed his attempt. He hoped it would be called a wide, but because he had moved, the umpire ruled it a valid delivery.

Shanaka also missed the penultimate delivery, which Afridi kept outside off. The ruling was contentious, with several broadcasters questioning whether it should have been labeled a "wide."

Shanaka appeared dejected after coming so close to a miraculous victory. However, he showed no protest and shook hands with Afridi as Pakistan won by five runs to finish their World Cup campaign.

Ramiz Raja was so struck by Shanaka's control that he compared him to a modern Nelson Mandela. He uploaded a post on his social media accounts, tagging Shanaka to guarantee the message got to the Sri Lankan skipper.

“A huge shout out to Dasun Shanaka for not retaliating at a wide-angled last ball from Shaheen that we all upstairs in the comm box read as a wide. He had 22 at the time for a 27-run last-over target to win. Any other batsman would have left the crease, cribbing and protesting. Shanaka took it in stride and allowed peace to prevail. A modern-day Mandela of sportsmanship!” Raja posted on X. 

Sri Lanka ended their Super 8s campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026 with three losses in three games to New Zealand, England, and Pakistan.