The defeat against Sri Lanka pulled Australia towards the exit door of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Australia started the match well but could not maintain the momentum, which ultimately gifted them their second defeat of the campaign.
After the match, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh said that their chances of staying in the race were entirely in the hands of God.
Australia out of challenging effort against Sri Lanka
Australia came to bat first and scored 181 runs in 20 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. 181 was no mean score, but it was Pathum Nissanka who scored an unbeaten century and the top-order Sri Lankan batsmen made it look easy.
Australia’s openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head made a positive start to the innings. Both the batsmen scored one half-century each and added 104 runs for the opening partnership.
The way Australia started, a score of over 200 did not seem far away. As the innings progressed, the Sri Lankan bowlers balanced the pace. Dushan Hemantha took 3 wickets and Dushmantha Chameera took two wickets.
Pathum Nissanka’s brilliant century has put Australia in trouble #T20WorldCup Elimination.
Full report: https://t.co/X32rXkliNC pic.twitter.com/Swhxt3gWB9
– cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) 16 February 2026
Mitchell Marsh told why he lost the match
Mitchell Marsh said that he might have fallen short by a few more runs. He gave the credit for this to the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Mitchell Marsh said, “I thought it was a competitive score. We probably left ourselves a bit behind after the start. Well played for SL; they outplayed us tonight. We know at our best we can score big. We lost our way towards the back end. SL bowled really well in the back end.”
Marsh was at a loss for words as he faced an unexpected situation. Before the tournament, he was considered a strong contender to play the semi-finals. In fact, the Australian cricket team may have to make a shameful exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup.
“We knew we were a little short. There’s not much else to say other than SL outclassed us. I think we’re in the lap of God now. There’s a lot of emotions in the room at the moment. We didn’t play our best. There are a lot of disappointed people at the moment,” Mitchell Marsh said in complete despair.
Marks distribution in Group B
The Australian team is currently at the third position in the points table of Group B with 2 points from 3 matches. They also faced a crushing defeat against Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka, with 3 wins from 3 matches, remain on top as the undefeated army in the group stage.
Zimbabwe is in second place with 4 points. The match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on 19 February will decide the future of the Australian cricket team.
read more:WATCH: Pathum Nissanka pulls off a stunning effort to dismiss Glenn Maxwell in SL vs AUS T20 WC match
