Sri Lankan will take on New Zealand in a must-win Super Eight round clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo today (25).
The game is scheduled to get underway at 7:00 a.m.
Yesterday, England sealed one of the two semi-final spots from Group 2 with their two-wicket win over Pakistan, leaving only one more up for grabs and three teams fighting for it.
A defeat for Sri Lanka today will knock the Dasun Shanaka-led team out of the competition.
Sri Lanka won the title back in 2014, but since then they have had a tough time, failing to qualify for the semis even once.
Sri Lanka started the ongoing edition with three wins on the bounce and looked threatening. Their momentum was halted when Zimbabwe beat them by six wickets. But the 51-run loss against England was particularly disappointing as they were bowled out for 95 while chasing 147.
However, Sri Lanka are determined to respond. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Dunith Wellalage said the co-hosts would give everything against the Black Caps in a bid to 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.
“As a unit, every player is determined to give more than 100 percent for the nation whenever we step onto the field. We are fully committed to contributing everything we have for the team. Starting with tomorrow’s match, we hope to put in a strong performance and deliver a game that makes our country proud,” Wellalage added.
NZ vs SL: PREDICTED 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
