Riding on Mitchell Santner's game-changing knock, New Zealand claimed a commanding 61-run win over co-hosts Sri Lanka in their T20 World Cup Super 8 match on Wednesday at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, effectively ending the home team’s tournament hopes.
After being asked to bat, New Zealand’s innings teetered on the brink early on, collapsing to 84 for 6 against a strong attack, but captain Mitchell Santner anchored the recovery, scoring 47 off 26 balls. Cole McConchie played a decisive innings of 31 unbeaten. The pair forged an 84-run stand, taking New Zealand to 168/7 in 20 overs.
Chasing the target, Sri Lanka were restricted to 107/8 in 20 overs. Speaking on the defeat, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka highlighted the external negativity around the side and called out the government to step in. Notably, the defeat has sent Sri Lanka out of the World Cup.
"A lot of times what we see and hear are negative things. No matter how we as cricketers try to stay positive, there is negativity outside. That's a big loss for Sri Lankan cricket. This is the only sport we have, and I don't know if we'll be able to protect it. If you look outside the stadium, you'll see how many people are standing outside with mics, and people will say stuff without having watched the match," Shanaka said at the press conference.
"Why spread this negativity? Yes, we lost a World Cup, and we know the reasons. Everyone has concerns. More than talking about that and correcting it, the negativity has come to the fore. We will play and leave, but if for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it [the negativity], that's better for their mental health."
Shanka also spoke about the injuries to their key players, all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana, who could not play the tournament due to their respective injuries. Moreover, ahead of the World Cup, pacer Eshan Malinga had been ruled out of the tournament, totally crippling Sri Lanka's bowling arsenal.
"You've also got to make fitness a non-negotiable. When you have the number of injuries we've had, it's hard to get a good outcome. Wanindu Hasaranga is such a key player for us. We also know how important Matheesha Pathirana is. Eshan Malinga was injured as well. Your fitness level influences your injuries. There are some players who can't even get into the team because of fitness issues. That's something we've talked about a lot over several World Cups now," Shanaka said.