New Delhi: A magnificent rescue act by skipper Mitchell Santner and spin-bowling all-rounder Cole McConchie helped New Zealand recover from a precarious position to post a challenging total of 168 for 7 in 20 overs in a T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight match against Sri Lanka at the R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Kiwis, after making a decent start, suffered a dramatic collapse inflicted by Sri Lankan spinners. But Santner and McConchie joined hands at 84 for 6 in the 13th over and stitched a brilliant 84-run stand off 47 balls for the seventh wicket to lead New Zealand’s recovery after being sent into bat by the co-hosts.

The 84-run partnership between the duo is now the highest for the seventh wicket or lower in T20 World Cups, surpassing the previous best partnership of 74 runs between Michael Hussey and Steve Smith against Bangladesh at Bridgetown in the 2010 edition.

Santner and McConchie started cautiously but turned the tables in the last four overs, helping the Kiwis add a whopping 70 runs to finish strongly.

Santner, McConchie lift Kiwis, who looked dead and buried in middle overs

Finn Allen provided a brisk start for the Kiwis but couldn’t continue after Maheesh Theekshana halted his charge in the fourth over. Tim Seifert followed soon before Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips stitched a brief stand of 41 to steady the ship.

But Sri Lankan spinners squeezed through the middle overs as Theekshana struck twice in the 12th before Dunith Wellalage castled Daryl Mitchell as the spin duo stunned the Kiwis with a three-wicket burst. Reeling at 84 for 6, New Zealand looked destined for a below-par finish before the remarkable rescue act by Santner and McConchie breathed life into the Kiwis’ chances in a crucial match.

Santner hit four sixes and two fours in his 26-ball 47 and missed out on a deserved fifty after being dismissed on the final delivery. McConchie, meanwhile, remained unbeaten on 31 from 23 balls (3×4, 2×6).

While both players joined hands in the 13th over, the actual Kiwi revival began in the 16th over, when McConchie took Dushmantha Chameera to the cleaners with two sixes and a four in an 18-run over.

Santner joined the party and smashed Sri Lanka’s best bowler, Theekshana, for four and two sixes in the 18th over that yielded 21 runs. The 16th and 17th over the innings turned the momentum in the Kiwis’ favour.

Mystery spinner Theekshana (3/30) and fast bowler Chameera (3/38) shared six wickets between them.