Santner, Ravindra star as New Zealand eliminate Sri Lanka

Match Overview

Sri Lanka and New Zealand locked horns in the 46th match, their second of the Super Eights of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, February 25. Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to field first.

The Kiwi openers gave their team a brisk start, scoring 30 runs off the first three overs. However, the home team struck twice in the space of seven balls to peg New Zealand back. Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips then combined for a 41-run 31-ball partnership for the third wicket before Dushmantha Chameera brought about a breakthrough again to send back Phillips.

Sri Lanka, with the help of the spinners, started to dominate the game as they conjured three more wickets for just nine runs. At 84/6 in the 13th over, New Zealand were looking down the barrel. But, captain Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie began to rebuild and once Santner got settled he started taking measured risks which paid off. McConchie was not far behind as the right-hander too started playing his shots.

The pressure shifted back to Sri Lanka as the partnership kept prospering to take New Zealand to a highly impressive 168/7, a score which looked improbable at the 13-over mark.

The home team had a disastrous start to their chase as Pathum Nissanka, the man in-form, had his middle stump pegged back by Matt Henry off the very first ball of the innings. Charith Asalanka, too perished soon after as the Lankans found themselves at 6/2 in the third over. The Kiwis applied the choke thereafter as the scoring rate came down to a snail's pace. Sri Lanka ended the powerplay at 20/2 and had the task cut out for themselves.

The required rate kept climbing up as Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake were unable to get away. The pressure was building with every non-boundary delivery and it brought about the dismissals of both off successive deliveries from Ravindra in the ninth over. Captain Shanaka and Dushan Hemantha could not fire tonight as the writing was on the wall for the home team by the 13th over.

Kamindu Mendis and Dunith Wellalage tried their best, but the required rate was almost beyond them given the situation. All they could do was reduce the margin of defeat and New Zealand prevailed by 61 runs.

Top run-scorer of the match

Top wicket-taker of the match

Player of the Match

Rachin Ravindra

Ravindra played an important hand with Phillips for the third wicket. Their 41-run stand came about in good time and, despite the wickets later on, Ravindra's knock with Phillips' attacking shots provided the team a headstart and a buffer which ultimately helped them to post a winning total in the end.

Ravindra was not done for the night as the 26-year-old's spin bowling was going to produce a huge impact on the game in the second innings. The left-arm spinner's dual strikes in the ninth over to send the set batters back to the pavilion broke the back of the Lankan chase. With two more scalps subsequently of the dangerous Shanaka and Hemantha put the game in the pocket for the Kiwis as Ravindra had a night to remember.

Turning Point

The 84-run seventh-wicket partnership off 47 balls between Santner and McConchie turned the game around dramatically. At 84/6 in the 13th over, Sri Lanka were on top but the duo played the innings for the ages to take their team to 168/7 in their 20 overs. Without this partnership, the result might have been a different one tonight.

What the captains said

Winning Team Captain, Mitchell Santner (NZ)

"Yeah, I think it was obviously a nice little period there with Sri Lanka with the ball. They squeezed us a lot. I think we lost three wickets on 84, which is never ideal, but I think the longer we could take it, me and Cole were thinking, we were trying to get to 140, but that kind of sets it up for the last kind of two-three overs and I guess 160 was not bad from there. (On his knock) Yeah, five of the 10 last games I wasn't overly happy with. Yeah, I think it's kind of one of those wickets where if you can get in and give yourself a little bit of time, you can kind of cash in and I guess me and Cole were thinking the same. It was obviously pretty tough to start out there. So to get 160 was nice and then with the ball, we kind of knew what we had to do with, you know, I guess watching the whole first innings."

"(On McConchie) Yeah, I mean, at the toss, it looked like a pretty good wicket. It probably spun more than we both thought, both teams thought. So I think with the big side as the spinner, you can kind of control your lengths and then get hit to the big side when the ball spinning in like that. So, yeah, you know, it's fantastic for Cole."

Losing Team Captain, Dasun Shanaka (SL)

"Yeah, it is very embarrassing to disappoint the home crowd. You know, they've been very supportive. Yes, you know, we started really well, but to be honest, the Mitchell Santner... and that partnership, it was a good one, which took the game away from us. Yeah, and also the decision to bat, so it was a collective decision, but, you know, we didn't expect wicket to turn that much since it's a new pitch. (the last four overs with the ball) See, we wanted to restrict them around 130, but, you know, our best bowlers bowling at the given time, to be honest, they played really well, so we must give the credit to Mitch Santner and Colin [Cole]."

"(What do you need to do better?) Of course, the batsmen need to take a little responsibility at the top and you know we can't rely on one or two batsmen in a game, so all the batters need to take the positive option. Yes, if you get out taking the positive option, you can be, you know, at least you can be relaxed once you come to the dugout, but here it is not the thing, we don't take the chances and it is T20 cricket, you need to show the intent a little bit more."