T20 World Cup 2026: New Zealand produced a remarkable turnaround, thanks to Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie who powered the Black Caps to knock Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a dominant 61-run win. Despite an energetic start from the hosts at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka looked firmly in control after their spinners crushed New Zealand’s batting line-up, leaving them struggling at 84 for 6.
Santner and McConchie launched a stunning counterattack in the final overs. McConchie set the tone with an aggressive over against Dushmantha Chameera, before Santner took charge with a blistering assault on Maheesh Theekshana. The duo added crucial 84 runs for the seventh wicket, the highest partnership for that wicket in T20 World Cup history – with 70 runs coming in the last four overs to lift New Zealand to a competitive total.
Sri Lanka knocked out of T20 World Cup 2026
Sri Lanka started their chase with an early blow when Pathum Nissanka was dismissed for a golden duck off Matt Henry’s ball, followed soon after by the wicket of Charith Asalanka. The early setbacks pushed Sri Lanka onto the back foot, and they struggled to make a comeback
Rachin Ravindra emerged as the standout performer with the ball as he finished with impressive figures of 4 for 19, his best in T20 internationals, effectively sealing Sri Lanka’s fate. The defeat confirmed their exit from the tournament, bringing a disappointing end to their campaign despite the strong support from the home crowd.
Check Group 2 points table after Sri Lanka vs New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2026 HERE…
| TEAMS | M | W | L | T | N/R | PTS | NRR |
| England | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.491 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +3.050 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -0.461 |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.800 |
Rachin Ravindra emphasized the value of contributing with bat and ball
Rachin Ravindra, who won the Player of the Match for his all-round performance, spoke about how his experience with the bat helped him adjust his approach with the ball. “Yeah, I guess understanding that slow was better. And I think there were a few stats that was put up even before our game against Pakistan in terms of under 85kph and the purchase you get from the surface and no one better than Santner, the captain, to tell you to bowl slow. He’s obviously a master n in that craft. So we all sort of talked about it as a spin group and decided pace off was better, especially the way Maheesh bowled to us with those heavy offies and slow, showed us a little bit of purchase in there.”
Rachin emphasised the value of contributing in multiple ways for the team, he also highlighted that his role is not limited to batting alone, “Yeah, I guess for me, it’s about offering a contribution to the team. And that’s to me the important thing. I guess being able to bat in the top three and offer some overs helps to balance the team out a little bit. Obviously in these conditions, I just tend to bowl a little bit more than I do at home. I’m just glad to be in the game no matter what and it feels like even if you don’t have such a good day with the bat, you can contribute with the ball and vice-versa.”
(Group 2 Points table updated till Sri Lanka vs New Zeland T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match)
