Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

MJ Santner
MJ Santner
47(26) 2x4 - 4x6
Control %85%
  • Productive Shot
  • on drive
  • 10 runs
  • 0x4 - 1x6
0 0 4 0 19 16 4 4
R Ravindra
R Ravindra
32(22) 3x4 - 1x6
Control %77%
  • Productive Shot
  • straight drive
  • 10 runs
  • 1x4 - 1x6
0 0 1 0 0 16 8 7

Best performances - Bowlers

R Ravindra
R Ravindra
O4
M0
R27
W4
Eco6.75
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
2W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
M Theekshana
M Theekshana
O4
M0
R30
W3
Eco7.5
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W

Match Details

Toss

Sri Lanka , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

19.00 start, First Session 19.00-20.30, Interval 20.30-20.50, Second Session 20.50-22.20

Match days

25 February 2026 - night match (20-over match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Points

New Zealand 2, Sri Lanka 0

Scorer: Ranjith P | Commentator: Abhijato (@ob_jato)

END OF OVER:
20 | 3 Runs 1 Wkt | SL: 107/8 (62 runs required, RR: 5.35)

  • Dushmantha Chameera7 (12b)
  • Maheesh Theekshana1 (1b)
  • Glenn Phillips4-0-21-1
  • Mitchell Santner4-0-19-1

10.45pm There then, this is all wrapped up: Sri Lanka out of this tournament, New Zealand alive and kicking. They'll play England next. A lot rides on that result for them. And Pakistan will be looking at the NRR columns with a keen eye too, ahead of their own games. The calculators will be out soon enough. For now, a good night from Ranjith, Raghav, Abhimanyu and I. Thanks for joining us here at ESPNcricinfo, and we'll see you soon!

Now Mitchell Santner saunters down to the presentation area. "The longer we could take them, we were thinking 140... 160 was not bad from there," he says. "One of those wickets where if you get in, give yourself a bit of time, you can cash in. It looked like a pretty good wicket, spun more than we thought. Control your lengths. Fantastic with McConchie. We were 3 off 10 each, probably, but we talked with each other. It was nice. The stats say, whether Super Eight or before, it spins more when you bowl slower. I didn't need a second invitation. [England] are outstanding obviously, quick turnaround for us, we'll see how the pitch plays."

And now, the captains speak. First, the losing captain, Dasun Shanaka: "It is really embarassing to disappoint the home crowd. We started really well, but to be honest, that Santner partnership was a good one. Took the game away from us. Also, the decision to bowl first... We didn't expect the pitch to turn this much, because it's a new pitch. Wanted to restrict them under 130, but to be honest, they played really well. [Kusal] came into the game with an issue... But it's just that kind of day, no one got a start for us. I thought the wicket might settle since it's a new pitch, but the areas they bowled - we didn't bowl there. Occasionally, but not all the time we were hitting the length. Give credit to New Zealand bowlers. One more game, we finish it on a high. Hopefully our best game. The batsmen need to take responsibility up top. Can't rely on one or two batsmen in a game. If you get out, take the positive option. You can be relaxed in the dugout. It is T20 cricket, you need to show the intent a little more."

Here's Player of the Match, Rachin Ravindra, for his all-round display! He says: "It's always pleasing to take a win like that. Amazing, specially at their home, awesome performance. I guess understanding that slower was better, and a few stats were put out there... Under 85ks. Santner is obviously a master at that craft, so we decided slower is the plan. The Sri Lanka crowd is fantastic... Reminds you why you play the game. There was a period where they were screaming 'New Zealand, New Zealand', so credit to them..."

10.30pm What a bowling defense: this sends a message out to the rest of the teams still alive in this competition. Rachin Ravindra's 4 for 27 was just the icing on the cake after Matt Henry ripped out Nissanka first ball of this chase. The going only got worse from there, to be honest, and Sri Lanka never looked likely to chase this down. They'll have to go back to the drawing board and reconstruct this T20 eleven, you'd think. New Zealand, meanwhile, wear smiles on their faces as they shake hands with each other and the opposition.

Also, our resident stats-chief Rajesh pings us with the scenario ahead for teams in this group: If NZ lose to Eng by 20 runs, Pak will have to beat SL by 50 runs. Basically the sum of the margins should be around 70 runs. Go figure!

19.6
1
Phillips to Chameera, 1 run, Chameera ventures down the ground, mishits this ball outside off and spinning back into him. The ball dribbles away to cow corner and the New Zealand players heave a sigh of relief. They were in trouble for a while at the start of this match, but they've sealed a crucial 61-run win. Sri Lanka, of course, are out of the World Cup with this loss
19.5
1
Phillips to Theekshana, 1 run, Theekshana on the charge and thrashes a drive down the ground. Length outside off and towards long-off, who collects without any fuss

Amit: "This is such a soul crushing defeat. NZ were 86 for 6 and from there on to lose this badly just kills any hopes for a team in the tournament. Kind of like how Afghanistan lost to Maxwell." - This is quite a sad feeling for SL fans, but that Maxi assault is a heartbreak of a lifetime...

19.4
W
Phillips to Wellalage, OUT, This time it's straight to long leg! Goes for a similar shot, on his knees and sweeping. Except Phillips changed this up just a little, and pushed this closer onto the line of the stumps. Straight to Ravindra. New Zealand have already won this but Phillips still brings out a roar and a passionate pump of the firsts as he gets a wicket in his columns

DN Wellalage c Ravindra b Phillips 29 (32m 23b 2x4 1x6) SR: 126.08

19.3
0
Phillips to Wellalage, no run, Big sweep, but couldn't time it despite the swing into it. On his leg and hit towards cow corner, where Chapman does well to put this ball back into play

Crowds have begun filtering out into the stands and into the roads outside. That's that, really

19.2
1
Phillips to Chameera, 1 run, Comes down the pitch to negotiate this ball from outside off and flicks this towards fine leg
19.1
0
Phillips to Chameera, no run, Edge into the pads from outside off. Chameera was looking to sweep once more

Darsh: "It's time to stop living in the past. Give Wellalage the white-ball captaincy NOW, drop the 'senior' baggage, and let the youth take charge. We'd rather lose building a future than lose holding onto a crumbling history." - Lots of passion from the Sri Lanka fans in the feedback section. Not without reason, either...

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0BKG MendisP Nissanka
2nd6BKG MendisKIC Asalanka
3rd21BKG MendisP Rathnayake
4th2PHKD MendisP Rathnayake
5th17MD ShanakaPHKD Mendis
6th13MADI HemanthaPHKD Mendis
7th18PHKD MendisDN Wellalage
8th28PVD ChameeraDN Wellalage
9th2PVD ChameeraM Theekshana

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Super Eights, Group 1
TeamMWLPTNRR
SA33062.259
IND32140.106
WI31220.993
ZIM3030-3.415
Super Eights, Group 2
TeamMWLPTNRR
ENG33061.096
NZ31131.39
PAK3113-0.123
SL3030-1.95
Group A
TeamMWLPTNRR
IND44082.5
PAK43160.976
USA42240.788
NED4132-1.217
NAM4040-3.108
Group B
TeamMWLPTNRR
ZIM43071.506
SL43161.741
AUS42241.523
IRE41230.15
OMA4040-4.845
Group C
TeamMWLPTNRR
WI44081.874
ENG43160.201
SCOT41320.184
ITA4132-1.02
NEP4132-1.349
Group D
TeamMWLPTNRR
SA44081.943
NZ43161.227
AFG42240.889
UAE4132-1.364
CAN4040-2.426