Are Sri Lanka eliminated from T20 World Cup 2026 after losing to New Zealand in Super 8?

Sri Lanka lost their second game of the Super 8 Round in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Sri Lanka suffered a major blow in their second game of the Super 8 Round in the T20 World Cup 2026 against New Zealand on February 25. Despite having the home advantage in the clash that took place at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the Dasun Shanaka & Co. faced a big defeat by 61 runs.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first in the match. They did a superb job in bowling, reducing the Black Caps to 84/6 at one stage. However, captain Mitchell Santner (47 off 26) and Cole McConchie (31* off 23) gave a brilliant finish to the Kiwis batting, taking the scoreboard to a respectable 168/7 in the first innings.

While Sri Lanka were expected to dominate in the chase, they lost their in-form batter Pathum Nissanka for a golden duck on the first delivery.

Kusal Mendis (11), Charith Asalanka (5), and Pavan Rathnayake (10) also lost their wickets cheaply, as they suffered a batting collapse in the top order. Rachin Ravindra clinched a four-wicket haul as Sri Lanka crawled to 107/8 till the final over.

Are Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup 2026?

Sri Lanka’s journey in the T20 World Cup 2026 ended after their humiliating defeat to the Kiwis. Now, they cannot qualify for the semi-finals. England have already qualified for the knockout round and are at the top of the table after winning the first two matches. New Zealand take the second spot with 3 points.

Since Sri Lanka have 0 points, they will only end with two points even if they win their last game against Pakistan. The battle is now between Pakistan and New Zealand for the second semi-final spot from Group 2.

If Salman Agha & Co. win their next game against Sri Lanka and New Zealand lose against England, Pakistan can make it to the semi-finals, provided they have a better Net Run Rate (NNR). In such a scenario, both will finish with three points each.

Moreover, if Mitchell Santner and Co. beat England in their last game, they will qualify for the knockout stage, while if Pakistan lose to Sri Lanka, they will be eliminated.

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