The host nation never really recovered from the morale-crushing fall of its in-form batter and crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a 61-run loss to New Zealand, its second-straight defeat in the Super Eights.
Henry struck in his second over by rushing Charith Asalanka with bounce, forcing his pull shot into the hands of Daryl Mitchell at short midwicket.
Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake were identical in their laboured stints in the middle and their dismissal – beaten by Rachin Ravindra and stumped after a hop down the crease.
The end of their laborious 21-run partnership off 36 balls sent Sri Lanka into a free fall. It also got Ravindra a career-best four for 27. Dasun Shanaka fluffed his cut to point while Dushan Hemantha chased a wide delivery and sliced it to long on to become Ravindra’s next two victims.
Kamindu Mendis’ reverse sweeps off Ish Sodhi and Cole McConchie came too late to really swing the contest back in Sri Lanka’s favour. He eventually pulled a half-tracker from Mitchell Santner to deep midwicket and departed for 23-ball 31.
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Dunith Wellalage (29, 23b, 2×4, 1×6) fought till the end and dragged Sri Lanka to 107 for eight.
The game slipped away from Sri Lanka’s grasp in the last four overs of the first innings, where it leaked 70 runs to the unfancied pair of Santner (47, 26b, 2×4, 4×6) and McConchie (31 n.o., 23b, 3×4, 2×6). Their seventh-wicket partnership got New Zealand 84 off 47 balls, salvaging it from a precarious 84 for six.
Runs came at a trickle in the early phase of this alliance, but the shackles were broken in the 17th over with McConchie clearing the midwicket fence with his clips twice off Chameera. The change in mood rubbed off on Santner too, who made the most of a length ball and a full toss from Maheesh Theekshana to deposit sixes over midwicket.
Santner thumped another full toss over long on in the 19th over from Madushanka, which also included three wides and went for another 19. Chameera nabbed Santner off the final delivery of the innings, but only after the total had been inflated further to 168.
The ounce of hope that Sri Lanka might scale the total was put to rest by Henry in his first two overs.
| Photo Credit:
AP
The game slipped away from Sri Lanka’s grasp in the last four overs of the first innings, where it leaked 70 runs to the unfancied pair of Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Sri Lanka’s meek capitulation was unexpected after its spinners controlled the tempo of the New Zealand innings.
The Kiwi openers had threatened to run away in the PowerPlay, dispatching length deliveries from Wellalage from deep in their crease. Finn Allen creamed him twice through covers and Tim Seifert clubbed him through square leg to make it 12 runs off boundaries in the second over.
Maheesh Theekshana shelled Allen’s edge at short third off Dilshan Madushanka but redeemed himself just four balls later, nabbing him caught and bowled with some grip off the surface.
The early intent had been curbed with Seifert picking the deep square-leg fielder with his clip off Chameera.
Rachin and Glenn Phillips plotted a patient recovery with their 41-run stand only for Theekshana and Wellalage to wrest the control back. Troubled by the duo’s grip and turn, New Zealand collapsed from 75 for two to 84 for six and looked out of sorts.
But Sri Lanka had little inkling that Santner and McConchie were about to break free and cast a pall over their evening.
Published on Feb 25, 2026
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