Sri Lanka's journey in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 came to a disappointing end as they faced a tough 61-run defeat against the New Zealand national cricket team in the 46th match held at R. Premadasa Stadium. New Zealand showcased a solid batting performance, scoring 168 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their 20 overs.

 

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka struggled to find their rhythm, finishing with just 107 runs for 8 wickets in the same number of overs. A series of early wickets and some questionable shot choices led to a significant batting collapse. This loss sealed Sri Lanka’s fate in the tournament, marking a frustrating conclusion to their campaign.

 

Santner and McConchie Rescue NZ, Ravindra Dismantles Sri Lanka

 

After being put in to bat, New Zealand faced some challenges despite a solid start. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert fell during the Powerplay, and a middle-order collapse saw them tumble from 75 for 2 to 84 for 6, thanks to Sri Lanka’s bowlers, particularly Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera. 

 

However, skipper Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie orchestrated a remarkable comeback. Their record-breaking 84-run partnership for the seventh wicket turned the tide, with Santner blasting 47 off just 26 balls and McConchie finishing not out on 31.

 

The last four overs were explosive, yielding 70 runs and pushing New Zealand to a total of 168 for 7. Sri Lanka’s chase never really took off. Matt Henry struck in the very first over, and Rachin Ravindra’s impressive 4 for 27 dismantled their middle order. The hosts struggled to recover from a sluggish Powerplay, ultimately ending at 107 for 8 and exiting the World Cup. 

 

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New Zealand's captain, Mitchell Santner, delivered a crucial performance under pressure, guiding his team to 168/7. Coming in with the BlackCaps in a tough spot at 84/6, Santner launched a counter-attack, scoring 47 off 26 balls, including two fours and four sixes.

 

Alongside Cole McConchie, he forged a record 84-run partnership off just 47 balls, now the highest seventh-wicket (or lower) partnership in T20 World Cup history. Santner maintained a strike rate of 180.76 and was dismissed on the final ball, but not before reaching a significant milestone of 1,000 T20I runs. 

 

On the bowling front, left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra was the standout performer, wreaking havoc on Sri Lanka with a career-best 4/27 in four overs. He outsmarted the Lankan batters with his clever bowling, leading his team to a fantastic victory.

 

He first had Kusal Mendis stumped with some extra bounce and turn, then did the same to Pavan Rathnayake on the very next ball. Dasun Shanaka fell to a mistimed cut as Ravindra extracted bounce, while Dushan Hemantha was dismissed while trying to up the tempo. 

 

New Zealand's all-rounder, Rachin Ravindra, earned the Player of the Match title thanks to his outstanding performance with both bat and ball. He kicked things off with the bat, scoring 32 runs off just 22 balls, including three boundaries and a six. Later, he shone with the ball, achieving a career-best 4/27 and effectively dismantling the opposition's batting lineup.