WATCH: Adam Milne's fiery pace breaks Pathum Nissanka's bat in Sri Lanka-New Zealand 2nd T20I

SL vs NZ 2nd T20I (Image credit: Twitter)

In the second T20I between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, fans witnessed a unique moment when Kiwi pacer Adam Milne broke the handle of Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka's bat with a fiery pace delivery. It was Milne's signal to the Lankan batters of things to come as the right-arm pacer tore apart the visitors' batting line-up in their emphatic 9-wicket victory in Dunedin.

After winning the toss, Milne started proceedings with the ball for the hosts. On the fifth ball of the over, a quick delivery to Nissanka saw his bat almost sheared off beneath the handle. The right-handed batter took his revenge on the next ball by smashing the bowler for a boundary.

Watch the video below:

Adam Milne broke Pathum Nissanka's bat. pic.twitter.com/TgLNEPGZN7

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 5, 2023

Earlier, New Zealand lost the first T20I match in a thrilling Super Over with both teams tied for 196 runs in 20 overs. However, in a must-win encounter in the three-match series, the Black Caps managed to beat the Lankan Lions in a commendable way. The visitors were bowled out for 141 as the Kiwi bowlers produced a blistering performance, notably Milne, who wreaked havoc with a five-wicket haul.

Only Kusal Perera (35 off 32), Dhananjaya de Silva (37 off 26) and Charith Asalanka (24 off 19) could contribute little to their team. Chasing a mere score, Chad Bowes gave a blistering start before being dismissed for 31 off 15 balls. But the momentum was carried forward by Tim Seifert, who scored 79* off 43 to help his team cross the finish line.

It’s a big blow for him, and for us: New Zealand head Coach on Kane Williamson's injury

New Zealand limited overs captain Kane Williamson suffered a knee injury during the opening match of the 2023 Indian T20 League between Chennai and Gujarat in Ahmedabad. Williamson tried to save a six for his team while fielding on the boundary line, but a bad landing in the process left him injured.

The incident came as a huge blow to the Gujarat franchise as their star batter has been ruled out for the rest of the season. It is also a worrying sign for New Zealand as the 2023 ODI World Cup is just six months away. Meanwhile, Black Caps head coach Gary Stead opened up about Williamson's injury, saying it is a huge blow.

“Our first thoughts are obviously with him. We're not sure at this stage of the severity of the injury. It’s not nice to see anyone, let alone your captain of your white-ball teams, being injured. It’s a big blow for him, and it’s a big blow for us,” Stead said.