Sri Lanka cricket in turmoil after T20 World Cup exit; Shammi Silva’s sacking demanded

The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team crashed out of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 with an embarrassing 61-run defeat against New Zealand in the Super 8 match at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on February 26.

It was a painful night for Sri Lanka, as there was only silence and anger across the stadium, as the co-hosts of the T20 World Cup 2026 are now officially out of the tournament. It was the fifth straight T20 World Cup in which they have failed to reach the semifinals since their title glory in 2014. As per reports, Sri Lanka Cricket boss Shammi Silva is under fire, and his resignation has been demanded.

Sri Lanka knocked out after crushing 61-run defeat to New Zealand

Chasing 169, Sri Lanka had a poor start. There were thoughts that the Colombo pitch would help Sri Lanka, but they found themselves at 20 for 2 in the powerplay against New Zealand.

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New Zealand bowlers played smart cricket, and the batters could not handle the pressure. The team managed only 107 runs for 8 wickets. The star of the match was Rachin Ravindra, who took 4 wickets for 27 runs. He broke Sri Lanka’s middle order and did not let them settle.

Read Also: Glenn Phillips brutally trolls Sri Lankan fans with Naagin dance during T20 World Cup clash

This was Sri Lanka’s third straight loss in the T20 World Cup 2026. Before the New Zealand match, the Islanders had already lost to Zimbabwe in the group stage and England in their second Super 8 match. With two losses in the Super 8 round, Sri Lanka became the first team to be knocked out of the semi-final race.

Dasun Shanaka admits failure, apologises to Sri Lankan fans

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka admitted that the team did not meet expectations. He said the players wanted to reach the semi-finals but could not perform well enough. He also said sorry to the fans who came in big numbers to support the team in the tournament.

Shanaka said at the post-match presentation, “Everyone had the desire to get into a semi-final. We all had that desire. But we didn't do justice to the expectations. We couldn't give fans what we wanted. For that we're sorry.”

Read Also: Virender Sehwag tells Gautam Gambhir to drop Abhishek Sharma vs Zimbabwe

Dasun Shanaka slams negativity around Sri Lankan Cricket

At the same time, Shanaka spoke about too much negativity around Sri Lankan cricket. The captain said that players face heavy criticism from outside. He even suggested that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) should think about protecting future players from such toxic surroundings.

He further explained his concerns: “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.”

Shanaka signed off by saying, “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. We will play and leave, but for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it, that's better for their mental health.”