AUS vs SL highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka beat Australia by 8 wickets to enter Super Eight

Marcus Stoinis to Pavan Rathnayake, Play and a miss! On a hard length outside off. Rathnayake flashes and misses it on the outside edge as the ball kicks up and breezes past his blade.

Marcus Stoinis to Pavan Rathnayake, On a good length, outside off, steered off the back foot to backward point.

Marcus Stoinis to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR! Short of a length outside off. Rathnayake is late on the cut and gets a thick outside edge, which flies between the keeper and short third for a boundary.

Marcus Stoinis to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR! Not in control, but in the gap! A bit full and outside off, holds on the surface slightly, Pavan Rathnayake chips it uppishly, but in the gap at cover and it races away to the ropes.

Pavan Rathnayake walks in next, at number 4, replacing Kusal Mendis.

Marcus Stoinis to Kusal Mendis, OUT! TAKEN! Pallekele goes silent as Stoinis breaks the 97-run partnership for the second wicket. Length ball on middle at 130.9 kph, Kusal Mendis looks to go big with a front foot heave but miscues it towards the longer side of the boundary. It goes high but not far, and Cooper Connolly settles under it at the edge of the boundary to take it safely in the deep mid-wicket region.

Marcus Stoinis to Pathum Nissanka, Fuller and around off, punched in front of cover for a quick single. Smith, the sub fielder, collects the ball.

Glenn Maxwell to Kusal Mendis, Good length on the stumps, Glenn Maxwell gets extra bounce. Kusal Mendis shuffles across, goes for the paddle on one knee, but gloves it to short fine.

Glenn Maxwell to Pathum Nissanka, FIFTY FOR PATHUM NISSANKA NOW! Off just 32 balls. On a length on the stumps at 96.9 kph, Pathum Nissanka hangs back and works it through mid-wicket for a single. A slight hesitation at the start, but it ends well for him and Sri Lanka as they cross strikes. 19th T20I fifty for Nissanka. He has been simply brilliant in this chase so far.

Glenn Maxwell to Pathum Nissanka, Full and outside off, Pathum Nissanka drops to a knee and sweeps it to deep square leg for a couple of runs.

Glenn Maxwell to Kusal Mendis, Short of a length on the stumps. Mendis hangs back and clips it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Glenn Maxwell to Pathum Nissanka, A touch short, spinning in sharply, tucked into the leg side for a single. 100 UP FOR SRI LANKA!

Glenn Maxwell to Kusal Mendis, FIFTY FOR KUSAL MENDIS! His third consecutive half century in this World Cup. Pushed through, full and on middle, Mendis lunges in front and clips it to widish long on for a single. The players and the coaches in the Sri Lankan dugout are up on their feet.

Nathan Ellis to Pathum Nissanka, Full again, outside off, Pathum Nissanka leans on and knocks it straight to Mitchell Marsh stationed at extra cover. A quiet over from Australia's point of view. Just 5 from it. Sri Lanka need 84 runs from 54 balls.

Nathan Ellis to Kusal Mendis, At pace now, full and outside off, Kusal Mendis gets on the front foot and drives it all along the carpet to deep cover for one more.

Nathan Ellis to Pathum Nissanka, Ellis pulls his length back and goes pace off again, at 112.5 kph. Pathum Nissanka presses back and pulls it to deep square leg for a run.

Nathan Ellis to Kusal Mendis, The back-of-the-hand slower ball at just 113.6 kph, full and around off, Kusal Mendis waits and then eases it through covers for a single.

A bit of a halt in play. Pathum Nissanka has been hit flush near the ankle bone and he has taken his pads off, and even the shoe and the socks. The physio is out in the middle but the good thing is that Nissanka is not in agony. A single spray of the magic spray should numb the pain. All in readiness now and Pathum sports a smile as well.

Nathan Ellis to Pathum Nissanka, A big shout for LBW, but not given. Regardless, that's a top nut. A pinpoint yorker, tails in late on the leg stump line. Pathum Nissanka's head falls over as he tries to jam the bat down to carve it to the leg side, but gets a faint inside edge on the right ankle before the ball trickles to the backward square leg region. The batters take the single but then Pathum goes down on the ground and looks in a lot of pain.

Nathan Ellis to Kusal Mendis, Full and on the pads, Mendis wrists it to deep square leg for a single.

Halfway stage of the run chase. Australia are ahead but the game seems to be slipping at a quick rate from them here. The ball is coming onto the bat nicely and they are just not able to stop the flow of runs. Nathan Ellis returns. 1-0-9-0 so far.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, Another piece of excellent fielding! Short and wide, Kusal hops back and cuts it past backward point, but Nathan Ellis races across to his left and dives to save a run. The replay shows that it is a clean effort.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, Around off, pushed to cover.

Adam Zampa to Pathum Nissanka, Loopy delivery around off, right in the blockhole, Pathum Nissanka squeezes it to the right of backward point for a single.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, This time, Mendis sweeps the full ball in front of square to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, Top effort in the deep! Fraction fuller, on middle, Mendis sweeps it by getting down on a knee. The ball rolls between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket. The former fielder dives to his left and palms the ball to the converging fielder from the latter position. Two taken.

Adam Zampa to Pathum Nissanka, Looped up full and on off, Pathum Nissanka advances and runs it down to long off for a single.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Excellent shot! Full around leg at 93.9 kph, Kusal Mendis drops to one knee and sweeps it firmly behind square on the on side for four.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, Flatter around off. Mendis rocks back and guides it to short third.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, An in-drifter on a fuller length, sliding on the leg stump and probably going down. Kusal Mendis misses to sweep and the ball thumps the front pad. Cooper appeals for LBW, but it is not given by the umpire. Marsh has a chat with his bowler, but they decide not to review it. Australia have just one review remaining. And the Ball Tracking later shows that the wickets are umpire's call. So, even if Australia had reviewed it, their review would have been safe, but the on-field decision would not have changed.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Sri Lanka keep marching on! Cooper lands it full and on off, Kusal Mendis shimmies down the track, plays with the spin and lofts it inside out over cover-point for a boundary.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, Shortish delivery, around off, Kusal cuts it to backward point. 

Cooper Connolly to Pathum Nissanka, Short and outside off, width offered. Cut away off the back foot to deep point for a single.

Time for Maxwell? Nope. Connolly continues.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Into the gap! A short leg break, on middle and leg. Kusal Mendis uses the depth of the crease and pulls it to the leg side, bisecting long on and deep mid-wicket for a boundary. 10 from Zampa's first over.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, Quicker at 96.1 kph, short and outside off, Mendis tries to cut it through the gap, but finds short third.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, Zampa drags the length back, around off, Kusal goes deep in the crease and punches it to short cover.

Adam Zampa to Pathum Nissanka, A touch short, on middle, sliding in, Pathum Nissanka nudges it to long on for a single.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, Nicely tossed up, full and around off, Kusal runs it down to long off for a single.

Adam Zampa to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Welcome to the attack, mate. A bit of a loosener to start with, short and on middle. Kusal Mendis rocks back and slaps it with a pull shot to the deep mid-wicket and long on gap for a boundary.

Will Stoinis get another? He won't as it is Adam Zampa time.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, Bowled into the batter at 94.9 kph, a touch full and on middle. Mendis makes room by backing away and eases it between cover and point for a single.

Cooper Connolly to Pathum Nissanka, Connolly slides one onto the pads, on a fuller length, Pathum clips it to short fine leg for a single.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, Full and tossed up around off, Kusal Mendis carves it to pierce the cover gap, but Mitchell Marsh dives to his right and cuts the ball, half stopping and parrying it to mid off for a single.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, A bit fuller, on middle, drifts in with the arm, Kusal Mendis pushes at it, and gets an inside edge on the boot.

Cooper Connolly to Pathum Nissanka, Loopy full toss, on leg, Pathum Nissanka drills it inside out to widish long off for a single.

Cooper Connolly to Kusal Mendis, Flat and full, on off, Kusal presses in front and stabs it to cover-point for a single.

DRINKS BREAK. 35 runs in the last 3 overs for Sri Lanka have flipped the momentum in their favor. They are 61/1 at the end of the Powerplay, and at the same stage, Australia were 70/0. So nothing really separates both teams right now. Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka have displayed a very positive intent after the first wicket, which has prevented them from getting into a defensive shell. The pressure is on Australia to keep chipping away at the wickets. And as the field spreads, Cooper Connolly (1-0-13-0) will continue from this end.

Marcus Stoinis to Pathum Nissanka, FOUR! Edged, but just past the keeper! On a hard length, outside off, Pathum flashes hard at it, and gets a thick outside edge. The ball flies to the right of the keeper. Josh Inglis flies to that direction, but the ball just evades his gloves before running behind to the fence.