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Sangakkara vents rage as Sri Lanka miss semis again, tears into team’s repeated blunders: 'Devastated, angry, hurt'
Chasing 169, Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 107, suffering their second consecutive Super 8 defeat
Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara could not hide his emotions as the co-hosts of the 2026 T20 World Cup crashed out of the tournament on Wednesday following a horror batting collapse at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo against New Zealand. Chasing 169, Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 107, suffering their second consecutive Super 8 defeat and becoming the first team eliminated at this stage.
Sangakkara admitted to the hurt and anguish after Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the semifinals for the fifth straight time since lifting the T20 World Cup title in 2014. The former wicketkeeper-batter was part of Sri Lanka’s golden run between 2009 and 2014, when they reached at least the semifinals in four consecutive editions, making the final in 2009 and 2012 before winning the title two years later.
“There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans are devastated, disappointed, angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy,” he tweeted.
However, Sangakkara did not stop at empathy. He aimed his next words squarely at the team’s repeated mistakes and inability to adapt to the evolving demands of modern cricket.
“But this responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people. There is a lot of work to be done at all levels to course correct. We can’t do the same things over and over and expect different results when the cricket world around us has evolved so quickly. We haven’t adapted and the danger is irrelevance,” he added.
Sri Lanka have struggled for consistency throughout the tournament, barring a win against Australia in the group stage. They lost to Zimbabwe in their final group match but progressed to the Super 8 as the second-placed side in the group. However, they suffered defeats in both Super 8 fixtures, including a batting collapse against England while chasing 145, when they were bowled out for 95 in 16.4 overs.
New Zealand’s victory, meanwhile, did not automatically secure their semifinal berth. They still have to beat in-form England on Friday to confirm qualification. A defeat, however, could open the door for Pakistan to advance as the second team from Group 2, provided they overcome Sri Lanka in their final match by a significant margin.
