Top 5 T20I Performances in 2017

#4 Asela Gunaratne - 84*(46) against Australia

Gunaratne's astounding knock propelled Sri Lanka to a stunning victory in Geelong

When he looks back at his career in the years to come, Asela Gunaratne will have fond memories of Sri Lanka's brief limited-overs tour of Australia in early 2017. He scored back to back half-centuries to propel his team to a memorable series triumph. The second of those knocks can be construed as one of the best knocks in the history of T20Is thus far. Batting first on a flat surface at the Simonds Stadium in Geelong, Australia racked up 173 runs.

Sri Lanka's run-chase was littered with quite a few soft dismissals. Having lost half of their lineup even before the fifth over could be completed, their situation appeared extremely dire. However, Gunaratne launched a brilliant counterattack to start shifting the pressure on the hosts. The right-hander's array of audacious shots allowed the visitors to keep pace with the required run-rate. Tasked with doing all the heavy lifting by himself, he remained unbeaten on 84 from 46 deliveries and guided Sri Lanka to a thrilling victory in the last ball of the match.