Rahul Dravid, Ravi Shastri’s main men credited for Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup success by Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka, led by Dasun Shanaka, defeated Australia in Pallekele to secure a place in the Super 8s during the T20 World Cup 2026. After the win, head coach Sanath Jayasuriya stated that two former Indian team coaches, R. Sridhar and Vikram Rathour, played a crucial role behind the side’s outstanding performance.

Sri Lanka recorded an eight-wicket victory over Australia in Pallekele on Monday, February 17. After failing to get past the group stage in the last two tournaments, Sri Lanka delivered a statement win on the big stage. They bowled Australia out for 181 and chased the target down with two overs to spare.

The 2021 champions suffered their second loss in three games. Australia are on the brink of elimination, as they will be knocked out if Zimbabwe beat Ireland in their third Group B match on Tuesday, February 17.

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Vikram and Sridhar Were Really Good - Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya said that R. Sridhar and Vikram Rathour played a key role through focused training and clear planning. Jayasuriya stated that their work in practice improved Sri Lanka’s fielding standards and batting confidence, which made a big difference on match day.

"R Sridhar is our fielding coach, he’s from India, and also Vikram (Rathour) is our batting coach. Both are really good gentlemen. They do whatever we want to do at practice, which is really good for fielding," Sanath Jayasuriya said.

"With his IPL experience, he’s working with the players really well and gelling well. We have given a lot of confidence to the batters. Sometimes, as coaches, we may get desperate with the batting unit, but still we gave confidence to the players. Vikram and Sridhar were really good," he added.

We Wanted to Send the Message - Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya revealed that Sri Lanka focused on smart bowling plans to unsettle Australia. He said the pitch offered some grip, making it harder for batters to play attacking shots. He also admitted that the early injury to Matheesha Pathirana was a setback.

"I think we wanted to send the message to vary the pace and slow it down as much as possible, and the wicket was gripping a little bit, which we wanted to maximise. So I think Maheesh Theekshana they all bowled well."

"We had a terrible thing with Matheesha Pathirana. But I think we came back really well after the first few overs. Maheesh came back and bowled three overs. So that was the key. The bowlers did a great job," concluded Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka Stun Australia With All-Round Performance

Sri Lanka produced a strong comeback to beat Australia. After conceding 100 runs in the first eight overs, they slowed the game down with spin. Even after losing Matheesha Pathirana to a hamstring injury, the bowlers restricted Australia to 181 in 20 overs.

Travis Head (56) and Mitchell Marsh (54) added 104 runs in 8.3 overs for the first wicket. However, Sri Lanka struck back in the later stages. Dushan Hemantha (3/37) and Dushmantha Chamee (2/36) broke the momentum and applied pressure.

In the chase, Pathum Nissanka played a match-winning knock, scoring a brilliant 52-ball century to finish the game in 18 overs. Kusal Mendis (51) and Pavan Rathnayake (28*) supported him with important contributions.

Sri Lanka have now lost Wanindu Hasaranga and Pathirana to injuries and will hope to manage these setbacks as they move into the next round of the marquee tournament.

Also read: Matheesha Pathirana replacement at KKR: 3 players who can replace ₹18 crore pacer for IPL 2026