T20 World Cup 2026: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 61 runs

Colombo (Web Desk): In a crucial Super Eight Group 2 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026, Sri Lanka suffered a 61-run defeat against New Zealand, ending their tournament campaign and significantly reducing Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semi-finals.

Sri Lanka won the toss and invited New Zealand to bat. The Black Caps posted a total of 168 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. New Zealand started aggressively, but Sri Lanka managed to take some early wickets, reducing them to 86 for 6. However, a brilliant 84-run partnership off 48 balls between captain Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie lifted the team to a competitive total. Santner top-scored with 47 runs, while McConchie remained unbeaten on 31.

Chasing a challenging target, Sri Lanka’s batting lineup collapsed. The top four batsmen were back in the pavilion for just 29 runs. Pathum Nissanka scored 0, Kusal Mendis 11, Charith Asalanka 5, and Pawan Ratnaniyake 10. Captain Dasun Shanaka contributed 31, but the team could only manage 107 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs. Part-timer Rachin Ravindra took four wickets for New Zealand, Matt Henry claimed two, while Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner picked one each.

The match was critical for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Super Eight stage. With this defeat, Sri Lanka is out of the tournament, and Pakistan’s path to the semi-finals has become even more challenging.

Sri Lanka made one change to their squad, replacing Kamil Mishra with experienced Charith Asalanka. The team included Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Pawan Ratnaniyake, Chamika Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Hemanta, Dushmantha Chameera, Mahesh Theekshana, and Dilshan Madushanka. New Zealand’s team featured captain Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ash Sodhi, and Lockie Ferguson.