Sri Lanka national cricket team Knocked Out After 61-Run Loss to New Zealand national cricket team

Sri Lanka is out of the title race after losing the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026 to New Zealand by 61 runs. Captain Dasun Shanaka is unhappy about the defeat and says that disappointing the home crowd is very embarrassing.

New Zealand scored 168 runs for 7 wickets at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. Captain Mitchell Santner scored 47 and Cole McConchie was not out on 31, helping an 84-run partnership. Sri Lanka in reply could only score 107 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs.

After being eliminated from the T20 World Cup, Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka said, "It's really a shame to disappoint the home crowd. They have always supported us. We had a good start, but to be honest, the partnership between Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie was brilliant, which took the match away from us. Our plan was to restrict them to around 130 runs, but honestly, they batted brilliantly even against our best bowlers. So we have to give them credit."

He said, "The batsmen need to take more responsibility in the top order. We can't rely on just one or two players. All batsmen need to make positive choices. Even if you get out playing positively, there's satisfaction when you return to the dugout, but that wasn't the case here. We didn't take our chances. This is T20 cricket, and you need intent and aggression."

In this match, Sri Lankan opener Kusal Mendis managed just 11 runs from 22 balls. The captain said, "Kusal Mendis is a key player for us, but today was a day when no one got a good start." Regarding the pitch, the Sri Lankan captain said, "I thought the wicket would settle down a bit because it was a new pitch, but the way they bowled and the areas they bowled, we couldn't bowl in them. The Sri Lankan bowlers sometimes found the right line and length, but not consistently. In contrast, the New Zealand bowlers executed their plans brilliantly tonight."

Sri Lanka is out of the title race. However, the team will play its final Super 8 match against Pakistan on February 28th. The captain expressed confidence that the team will finish its World Cup campaign on a high note. "There's one more match left, and we need to finish it strong," Dasun Shanaka said. "Hopefully, we'll give our best."