T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka out after collapsing to heavy defeat by New Zealand
BBC World
February 25, 2026
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Co-hosts Sri Lanka were eliminated from the T20 World Cup after suffering a decisive 61-run loss to New Zealand in Colombo. With their semi-final hopes on the line, Sri Lanka seemed to be in control during New Zealand's innings but ultimately failed to capitalize on their strong start. Despite restricting New Zealand to 98-6 after 16 overs, Sri Lanka crumbled under pressure as Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie delivered a brutal counterattack, scoring 70 runs in the final four overs. This late surge proved too much for Sri Lanka's bowlers, who struggled to contain the opposition's momentum.
Sri Lanka's chase of 169 began poorly, with their top order collapsing early. Fast bowler Matt Henry took two crucial wickets in the powerplay, and left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra further dismantled the innings by dismissing Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake in the ninth over. Despite a valiant effort from Ravindra, who scored 32 runs with the bat and took four wickets, Sri Lanka's inability to build momentum ultimately cost them the match. They were reduced to 107-
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Originally published on BBC World on 2/25/2026