T20 World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka Face New Zealand in Crucial Super Eight Match

Sri Lanka will face New Zealand in a must-win Super Eight clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo, today (25). The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 a.m.

England’s two-wicket win over Pakistan yesterday secured one of the Group 2 semi-final spots, leaving one final spot up for grabs. Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and one other team remain in contention, meaning a defeat today would eliminate Dasun Shanaka’s side from the tournament.

Sri Lanka last won the T20 World Cup in 2014, but have struggled to reach the semifinals in recent editions. The hosts started the current tournament strongly with three consecutive wins, before defeats against Zimbabwe and a heavy 51-run loss to England, where they were bowled out for 95 while chasing 147, stalled their momentum.

At the pre-match press conference, all-rounder Dunith Wellalage expressed determination to deliver a performance that would make the nation proud.

“If you look at our recent performances, we have won several matches convincingly as a team, and the players have been performing well individually too. This World Cup is extremely important for our country,” Wellalage said.
“Every player is determined to give more than 100 percent for the nation whenever we step onto the field. Starting with tomorrow’s match, we hope to put in a strong performance and deliver a game that makes our country proud.”

Predicted Playing XIs

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (C), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka

New Zealand XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson