Co-hosts Sri Lanka’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign came to an abrupt end as they were humbled by New Zealand at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. The two losses at Super 8 stage meant Sri Lanka have no chance of making it to the semifinals. The exit led to former Sri Lanka captain and T20 World Cup 2014-winning wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara criticised the current side for not learning from their mistakes.
“There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans are devastated, disappointed, angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy,” he wrote on X after Dasun Shanaka-led side’s massive 61-run defeat.
“But this responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people. There is a lot of work to be done at all levels to course correct. We can’t do the same things over and over and expect different results when the cricket world around us has evolved so quickly. We haven’t adapted and the danger is irrelevance,” he added.
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In the run chase of 169, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 29 runs in 8.2 overs. The early wickets and a slow start did not let them make a comeback. Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Pavan Rathnayake scored at a strike rate below 30. Kamindu Mendis and Dunith Wellalage’s cameos took Sri Lanka to 107/8.
Shanaka wanted better pitches
In the post-match press conference, Shanaka blamed the curators for not producing wickets that are batting friendly. He is very sad by the loss.
"I said before the start of the tournament that I expected the wickets to be good for batting," he said. "Sri Lanka's best batters are here. We've picked players who have good domestic strike rates and ability. No one is here by force.
"Sometimes we don't get conditions we want, and we lose matches in unexpected ways. We're very sad about what has happened."
Shanaka says ‘fitness a non-negotiable’
In addition, Shanaka rued injuries to key players Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana and Eshan Malinga. He also talked about making fitness a priority to avoid frequent injuries, especially in major ICC events.
"You've also got to make fitness a non-negotiable. When you have the number of injuries we've had, it's hard to get a good outcome. Wanindu Hasaranga is such a key player for us. We also know how important Matheesha Pathirana is. Eshan Malinga was injured as well. Your fitness level influences your injuries. There are some players who can't even get into the team because of fitness issues. That's something we've talked about a lot over several World Cups now," Shanaka said.
Sri Lanka to take on hopeful Pakistan
Sri Lanka will now play in their last Super 8 game against Pakistan in Pallekele on February 28. Pakistan may find themselves alive in the Super 8 race if England beat New Zealand. Even then, Sri Lanka can spoil Pakistan's chances of making it to the last four.