Forget reaching somewhere near about New Zealand’s tricky and challenging 168 run scorecard in the vital Super 8 clash the previous evening (February 25), Sri Lanka, the joint hosts of the ongoing T20 World Cup (alongside India), couldn’t even touch 130 runs in reply. In the end of what should ideally have been a smooth run chase with the home team boasting of critical talents such as Asalanka and Nissanka, was a smooth ride home for the visiting New Zealand side. Such a scene was perhaps both disenchanting and uninspiring for Sri Lankans fans watching live proceedings. That’s whether or not one saw the demise of the team on the 22 yards live at the stadium or from home.
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But it could be argued that the low point about Sri Lanka’s defeat wasn’t just the margin of victory New Zealand achieved; rather the insipid (instead of inspired ) approach taken by Sri Lankan batters who were clearly found wanting in the second inning.
Instead of there being a fight, there was none. Not even a hard fought résistance. Almost a confidence shaking defeat suffered all thanks to the BlackCaps’ Rachin Ravindra’s clinical 4-for spell.
In the aftermath of a one sided contest, a forlorn looking Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka exclaimed the following and the visible look of disappointment could be echoed from his statement:
Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka delivered an emotional statement following his side’s disappointing performances at the T20 World Cup.
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“We feel sorry. We haven’t given fans anything to be happy about,” Shanaka admitted after another tough outing.
Sri Lanka, once T20 world champions, have struggled with consistency, particularly in their bowling at the death and middle-order stability. The captain acknowledged that expectations remain high given the nation’s rich cricketing history. With qualification hopes hanging by a thread, Sri Lanka face mounting pressure to salvage pride in the remaining fixtures.
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