The Sri Lanka national cricket team crashed out of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 with an embarrassing 61-run defeat against New Zealand in the Super 8 match at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on February 26.
It was a painful night for Sri Lanka as there was only silence and anger throughout the stadium as the T20 World Cup 2026 co-hosts are now officially out of the tournament. This was the fifth consecutive T20 World Cup in which they have failed to reach the semi-finals after winning the title in 2014. According to reports, Sri Lanka Cricket boss Shammi Silva is under criticism and there have been demands for his resignation.
Sri Lankan team is out after a crushing defeat by 61 runs against New Zealand
Sri Lanka had a bad start while chasing 169 runs. There were thoughts that the Colombo pitch would help Sri Lanka, but against New Zealand their score in the powerplay was 20 for 2.
New Zealand’s bowlers played smart cricket and the batsmen could not withstand the pressure. The team could score only 107 runs for 8 wickets. The star of the match was Rachin Ravindra, who took 4 wickets for 27 runs. He broke the Sri Lankan middle order and did not allow them to survive.
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This was Sri Lanka’s third consecutive defeat in the T20 World Cup 2026. Before the New Zealand match, the Islanders had lost to Zimbabwe in the group stage and to England in their second Super 8 match. With two losses in the Super 8 round, Sri Lanka became the first team to be eliminated from the semi-final race.
Dasun Shanaka admits failure, apologizes to Sri Lankan fans.
Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka admitted that the team did not live up to expectations. He said that the players wanted to reach the semi-finals but could not perform well. He also apologized to the fans who came in large numbers to support the team in the tournament.
“Everyone’s desire was to reach the semi-finals. That was the desire of all of us. But we did not do justice to the expectations. We could not give the fans what we wanted. For that we are sorry,” Shanaka said in the post-match presentation.
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Dasun Shanaka criticizes negativity around Sri Lankan cricket
Shanaka also said that there is a lot of negativity around Sri Lankan cricket. The captain said that the players have to face heavy criticism from outside. He even suggested that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) should think about protecting future players from such a toxic environment.
He further explained his concerns: “Many times what we see and hear are negative things. No matter how much we try to be positive as cricketers, there is negativity outside. It is a big loss for Sri Lankan cricket. It is the only game we have, and I don’t know if we will be able to protect it.”
Shanaka said, “If you look outside the stadium, you will see how many people are standing outside with mikes and people will say something without watching the match. We will play and go away, but for the players who will come in the future, if the government can stop this, it will be better for their mental health.”