New Zealand Vs Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka Eliminated After Heavy Super 8 Collapse; What Changes Next

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 26, 2026 12:04 AM ET

New Zealand Vs Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka Eliminated After Heavy Super 8 Collapse; What Changes Next

What changes now is simple and stark: new zealand vs sri lanka ended with Sri Lanka exiting the T20 World Cup and New Zealand moving closer to the semi-finals. In Colombo (RPS), New Zealand posted 168-7 and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 107-8, a 61-run margin that removes the co-hosts from contention and leaves New Zealand with one straightforward path to seal a semi-final spot.

New Zealand Vs Sri Lanka — the immediate consequence for the Super 8s

New Zealand remain in contention to reach a fifth T20 World Cup semi-final; Sri Lanka, the co-hosts, depart the tournament after this heavy defeat. Both teams still have one Super 8s fixture remaining: New Zealand can secure a semi-final place with victory over England on Friday, while Sri Lanka face Pakistan in Pallekele on Saturday. Here's the part that matters for the groups: this result ends Sri Lanka's hopes and shifts pressure onto New Zealand to finish the job in their final match.

How the match turned — critical passages rather than a play-by-play

For much of New Zealand's innings, Sri Lanka's bowlers appeared on top. They had New Zealand 98-6 after 16 overs and had earlier produced a collapse that saw New Zealand slump from 75-2 to 84-6 in less than three overs, powered by spinner Maheesh Theekshana and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. Theekshana returned figures of 3-9 from his first three overs.

What flipped the game was a late surge: Mitchell Santner hit 47 from 26 balls and Cole McConchie added 31 not out from 23, combining in an 84-run stand that produced 70 from New Zealand's final four overs and pushed the total to 168-7 (20 overs). That late hitting provided a defendable 169 target.

Sri Lanka's chase and the decisive moments

Sri Lanka's chase never recovered. Fast bowler Matt Henry took two wickets in the powerplay, and when Rachin Ravindra had Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake stumped in the ninth over, Sri Lanka were 29-4 and momentum evaporated. Ravindra also contributed with the bat, making 32 from 22, and then finished with bowling figures of 4-27 as Sri Lanka collapsed to 107-8 (20 overs). Henry finished with 2-3 from his two overs and was afforded the rest of the night.

Key performances and turning points

New Zealand 168-7 (20 overs): Mitchell Santner 47; Maheesh Theekshana earlier took 3-9 in his first three overs for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka 107-8 (20 overs): Rachin Ravindra 4-27 (with 32 from 22 as a batter); Matt Henry 2-3.
New Zealand surged late — 70 runs in the final four overs — driven by Santner and McConchie (31 not out from 23).
Sri Lanka restricted New Zealand to 98-6 after 16 overs but could not sustain the pressure when New Zealand counterattacked.

What’s easy to miss is how both phases mattered: an impressive middle spell from Sri Lanka's bowlers produced the collapse to 98-6, but the late overs decided the match and ultimately the tournament fate for the hosts.

Short takeaways for stakeholders and the near-term signals

New Zealand's late hitting shifts the Super 8s balance in their favour; a win over England would seal a semi-final berth.
Sri Lanka exit after a must-win defeat, departing the tournament following an earlier Super 8s loss to England.
Ravindra's all-round impact (32 from 22 with the bat and 4-27 with the ball) was a standout despite the loss; Theekshana and Chameera showed early bowling bite.
The real question now is whether New Zealand can convert this momentum into a result against England on Friday.

Micro timeline (match arc)

Early/middle: Sri Lanka's spin and pace produced a dramatic New Zealand collapse to 98-6 after 16 overs.
Late innings: Santner and McConchie added 84 in a match-defining stand, 70 runs came from the final four overs.
Second innings: Early powerplay wickets for Matt Henry and two ninth-over stumpings by Ravindra left Sri Lanka 29-4 and largely out of the contest.

All numerical details and match outcomes are taken from the match record for the Super 8 Group 2 game in Colombo (RPS). Image and schedule notes: both sides have one Super 8s game remaining; results of those fixtures will confirm which team advances.

Writer's aside: The bigger signal here is how late-innings hitting and a pair of rapid wicket clusters can rewrite a game that looked decided — a reminder that T20 momentum can flip in a handful of overs.