Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup campaigns used to carry a sense of danger. Even when they weren’t favourites, they were unpredictable, capable of unsettling bigger sides. That edge has slowly faded over the last decade. And in Colombo this week, the reality of them not being as strong as other teams hit hard again.
A heavy 61-run defeat to New Zealand confirmed Sri Lanka as the first team to be knocked out of semi-final contention from the Super Eights. Since winning the title in 2014, they have now failed to reach the last four in five consecutive editions. This exit was not surprising. New Zealand outplayed them, their spinners shared six wickets, and Sri Lanka limped to 107 for 8 on a surface that turned sharply from early on. At one point, New Zealand were 84/6 and it was Sri Lanka’s game to lose. But Mitchell Santner’s side flipped the script.
After the match, Dasun Shanaka was unfiltered and called out the negativity around the team. He went out the frustration on the noise that creep inside the dressing room.
“There is negativity outside”: Dasun Shanaka
“There was too much external negativity around his team, the pitches were too bowler-friendly, and fitness issues for key players were major issues that helped bring Sri Lanka’s downfall,” Shanaka said. He spoke about the atmosphere around the team as much as the cricket itself.
“A lot of times what we see and hear are negative things,” Shanaka said. “No matter how we as cricketers try to stay positive, there is negativity outside. That’s a big loss for for Sri Lankan cricket. This is the only sport we have, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to protect it. If you look outside the stadium you’ll see how many people are standing outside with mics, and people will say stuff without having watched the match.”
The criticism had been building even before the tournament began. Sri Lanka had endured a difficult run in limited-overs cricket since mid-2025. Losses to Zimbabwe, England and now New Zealand only intensified scrutiny. Well, since 2025, Sri Lanka won just 6 out of a total of 18 international games played against big five opponents (vs IND, SA, AUS, NZ and ENG). In T20Is, that tally is just 2 wins out of 8 games.
“Why spread this negativity? Yes, we lost a World Cup, and we know the reasons. Everyone has concerns. More than talking about that and correcting it, the negativity has come to the fore. We will play and leave, but if for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it [the negativity] that’s better for their mental health.”
Misreading conditions, mounting injuries
On the cricketing side, Shanaka admitted errors in reading conditions. “I said before the start of the tournament that I expected the wickets to be good for batting. Sri Lanka’s best batters are here. We’ve picked players who have good domestic strike-rates and ability. No one is here by force. Sometimes we don’t get conditions we want, and we lose matches in unexpected ways. We’re very sad about what has happened.“
Fitness issues compounded their struggles. Wanindu Hasaranga strained a hamstring in the opening match. Matheesha Pathirana picked up a calf injury. Eshan Malinga had already been ruled out before the tournament.
“You’ve also got to make fitness a non-negotiable,” Shanaka said. “When you have the number of injuries we’ve had, it’s hard to get a good outcome. Wanindu Hasaranga is such a key player for us. We also know how important Matheesha Pathirana is. Eshan Malinga was injured as well. Your fitness level influences your injuries. There are some players who can’t even get into the team because of fitness issues. That’s something we’ve talked about a lot over several World Cups now.”
Sri Lanka still have one Super 8 match left against Pakistan. It will not change their fate, but it could decide Pakistan’s campaign. Co-hosts Sri Lanka would love to bow out of the tournament with pride. But it will be challenging, as Pakistan will be putting their best foot forward in order to eye semi-final qualification.
