New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8: Rachin Ravindra rocks Sri Lanka out of World Cup; NZ win by 61 runs

Spin chokehold in the middle overs - Rachin and Phillips tried to steady things with a 41-run stand, but the innings never found lift off. Chameera struck soon after Rachin’s drop, and the slide began. From 75/2, New Zealand tumbled to 84/6, losing wickets in clusters as the adjustment never quite came. Theekshana controlled the tempo through the middle, Wellalage backed him up, and the surface kept dictating terms while the Kiwi middle order was dismantled piece by piece.

A Powerplay of two halves - New Zealand flew out of the blocks despite early movement, with Tim Seifert and Finn Allen hammering 30 in the first three overs, even as Seifert got a reprieve from Maheesh Theekshana. Then the tide turned as soon as spin was deployed. Theekshana came back to break the stand and New Zealand quickly lost both openers, managing just 14 for 2 in the next three overs. With the ball starting to grip, the spinners tightened control and the new batters found it hard to break free. 

Advantage New Zealand? From 98 for 6 at the end of the 16th over, New Zealand looked completely on the ropes, with real doubt over whether they would even bat through the full quota. But what followed was a stunning counterattack. They hammered 70 in the final four overs, completely changing the momentum and dragging themselves right back into the contest. From survival mode to serious momentum, New Zealand now head into the break with the game very much alive.

Dushmantha Chameera to Mitchell Santner, OUT! CAUGHT! A spectacular catch on the final ball, but the damage has been done. New Zealand end on 168/7. Full and pushed across off, Santner cracks the drive and picks the bones out of it. Neither does he get the elevation, nor is it wide enough of extra cover. Charith Asalanka, standing on the edge of the ring, flings himself to his right and takes a sharp grab. The ball stays in his grasp even as his elbow hits the turf.

Dushmantha Chameera to Mitchell Santner, FOUR! Not convincing at all, but they all count. Full toss, outside off, Santner swings for the hills and shanks it off the inner half. It goes through the vacant mid-wicket region. Kamindu Mendis at long on is quick across the turf and dives to his left, but the ball evades him and goes into the ropes.

Dushmantha Chameera to Mitchell Santner, Full and angling away from the left-hander, Santner reaches out and slices it by opening the bat face. He plays it wide of deep backward point for a couple of runs.

Dushmantha Chameera to Mitchell Santner, Was there a touch? Kusal Mendis thinks so, and Dasun Shanaka has gone for the review. Chameera gets it near the tramline, close to the popping crease. Santner has a swing at it, but misses and the ball goes through to the keeper. There is a scratch on UltraEdge but that is of the bat hitting the turf, and a gap is visible between the bat and the ball. The on-field decision of NOT OUT stands.

Dushmantha Chameera to Mitchell Santner, SIX! Mitchell Santner adjusts and sends it all the way. Chameera misses the yorker, low full toss, outside off. This time, Santner walks across the stumps, takes it on the full and tonks it towards the sight screen for a six.

Dushmantha Chameera to Mitchell Santner, With the shorter boundary on the leg side, Chameera steams in from over the wicket with the field set for wide yorker. He nails the yorker, near the tramline. Santner fails to dig it out.

Another over that goes into double digits. 58 runs in the last 3 overs for New Zealand and to make matters worse for Sri Lanka, they have been penalised for a slow over rate. They will now have to have five fielders inside the 30-yard circle. Dushmantha Chameera (3-0-26-2) to wrap up.

Dilshan Madushanka to Mitchell Santner, Very full, on off, Santner hits it down to long off for a single. 19 runs off the over!

Dilshan Madushanka to Mitchell Santner, A slower ball, at just 118.9 kph, full and on the stumps, Santner heaves it off the inner half between long on and deep mid-wicket. Asalanka gets across to his left from long on, has a slight fumble, which allows the batters to cross for the second.

Dilshan Madushanka to Mitchell Santner, Wide! Banged in short by Dilshan Madushanka, over middle and leg. It goes over the batter's head for a wide.

Dilshan Madushanka to Mitchell Santner, SIX! Mitchell Santner does not miss out this time! Dilshan Madushanka goes searching for the yorker but ends up serving a full toss, on middle and leg. Santner makes room and extends his hands to pump it over long on for a six. 150 UP FOR NEW ZEALAND!

Dilshan Madushanka to Mitchell Santner, Wide! Mitchell Santner will feel that he missed out. Full toss and going down leg, Santner just has to get some bat on it to help it away but he fails to do so.

Dilshan Madushanka to Mitchell Santner, Good cricket all around! Dilshan Madushanka spots Santner backing away and he follows him with a searing yorker at the toes. Santner jams it out in front of long on. Cole McConchie scampers through and makes it to the danger end.

Dilshan Madushanka to Cole McConchie, Just over! Dilshan Madushanka keeps it full and wide from over the wicket. Cole gets his bat down and slices just over the leaping backward point fielder. Just a single.

Dilshan Madushanka to Cole McConchie, Wide! That is harsh on the bowler. Dilshan Madushanka spots the batter shuffling to the off side and he pushes it even wider on off. Cole fails to squeeze it out. Wide given despite the batter's movement and Madushanka is not happy one bit.

Dilshan Madushanka to Cole McConchie, FOUR! Clever, very clever! With a field set for the wide yorker, Dilshan Madushanka executes the delivery. Near the tramline, McConchie walks across, takes it on the full and glides it with an open bat face. He plays it fine of the man at deep backward point for a boundary.

Momentum has flipped in the last couple of overs as New Zealand have smashed 39 runs in the last 12 balls. 160 looks like a possibility now, which was way too far at one stage. Dilshan Madushanka (2-0-15-0) to bowl the penultimate over.

Maheesh Theekshana to Mitchell Santner, Shorter and wider on off. Mitchell reaches out and gets on top of the bounce. He punches it wide of extra cover and the batters collect a couple. 21 runs off the over.

Is that a No Ball? Santner struck a six and straightaway looked at the umpire for a No Ball for height. The third umpire is brought into action and Ball Tracking shows that the ball just dipped below the waist height. Not at the point of contact, but at the original position of the batter. So it is deemed a fair delivery. 

Maheesh Theekshana to Mitchell Santner, SIX! Back-to-back maximums for the Kiwi skipper. 19 runs off the over with a ball to go. Maheesh Theekshana probably went searching for the yorker. He got it all wrong. A high full toss but it snuck just under the waist. Santner stood tall and smoked it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. The fifty stand comes up as well.

Maheesh Theekshana to Mitchell Santner, SIX! All the way! Angled into the left-hander, a fuller delivery and on middle. Santner unleashes the slog sweep. He does not quite get hold of it, but it still sails over the deep mid-wicket fence as it is hit towards the short boundary on the leg side.

Maheesh Theekshana to Mitchell Santner, FOUR! The errors in the field are creeping in for Sri Lanka. Short and on off, Santner stays back and cuts it square on the off side. Pavan Rathnayake sprints and dives to his right in the deep but as his elbow hits the turf, the ball slips out of his grasp and rolls into the fence.

Maheesh Theekshana to Cole McConchie, Full and on the leg stump. Cole brings out the reverse and plays it behind square. It is mopped up in the deep. Just a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Cole McConchie, This turns away, on a length, McConchie stays leg side to cut it away but misses due to the turn.

Maheesh Theekshana to Mitchell Santner, Two wides! Wayward from Maheesh. Too full and wide on off. Santner lets it go. The ball bursts through the gloves of the keeper and the batters pinch in a quick single.

Just the over New Zealand were looking for to get a lift off. Anything offered at pace was punished. Maheesh Theekshana (3-0-9-3) to bowl out now. He replaces Charith Asalanka.

Dushmantha Chameera to Cole McConchie, FOUR! A productive over for New Zealand, one they will hope kickstarts their fightback. 18 runs off it. Chameera switches to around the wicket and takes pace off. This is on top of off. McConchie picks the slower one and waits for the ball to arrive. He cuts it past the diving Maheesh Theekshana at backward point to his right. The fielder in the deep gets around and slides. He even gets a hand on it but it is not enough as the ball trickles into the fence.

Dushmantha Chameera to Mitchell Santner, On the pads, on a length, Santner plays it with soft hands towards the vacant mid-wicket region. The batters think about the second, but Dushmantha Chameera hunts it down and keeps the batters to a single.

Dushmantha Chameera to Cole McConchie, Gets the yorker in, at the toes. Cole digs it out in front of square on the leg side for a run.

Dushmantha Chameera to Cole McConchie, SIX! Easy pickings! Chameera errs in both line and length. Leg-cutter, too full, too straight, on the pads, with the shorter of the two square boundaries being on the leg side. Cole picks it up neatly and sends it over deep square leg for another six.

Dushmantha Chameera to Cole McConchie, Good comeback from Chameera. Leg-cutter, on a good length, around the off stump. Cole hangs back to deal with it but is beaten on the outside edge and the ball dribbles back towards the keeper.

Dushmantha Chameera to Cole McConchie, SIX! Pace back on and Cole McConchie goes big. At 138.1 kph, angled in, on a length, on middle. McConchie puts his head down and plays the pick-up shot off the pads. He clears the short boundary on the leg side and hits it over deep mid-wicket for a six. 100 up for New Zealand.

Change in bowling as Wellalage has completed his spell. Dushmantha Chameera (2-0-8-2) is back on.

Charith Asalanka to Cole McConchie, Shorter and across off from around the wicket. McConchie presses back and nudges it in front of mid-wicket for a run.

Charith Asalanka to Cole McConchie, FOUR! Smart batting! First boundary in 33 balls for New Zealand. Around off, on a good length, Cole McConchie walks inside the line of the ball and sweeps it through backward square leg for a four.

Charith Asalanka to Mitchell Santner, Full and angled in, on middle. Santner uses his feet and smears it to wide long on. They cross.

Charith Asalanka to Cole McConchie, Leg bye! The length is dragged back, on middle. Cole advances early and looks to flick it away. The ball spins past his bat and hits him on the front pad. A leg bye is taken as the ball goes on the off side.

Charith Asalanka to Mitchell Santner, Slows it down a bit, fuller as well, Santner steps out and punches it back past the bowler for a single.

Charith Asalanka to Mitchell Santner, Darted in at the sticks, Santner punches it off the back foot to cover.

Dunith Wellalage to Mitchell Santner, Tossed up, fuller and on off, Santner pushes it to long off and keeps the strike with a single. 4-0-27-1 for Dunith Wellalage tonight.

Dunith Wellalage to Mitchell Santner, Keeps it near the tramline, fractionally short, Santner flashes but is beaten. 27 balls since the last boundary, as informed by Mark Howard.

Dunith Wellalage to Cole McConchie, Short and around off, Cole waits on it and steers it behind point for a single.

Dunith Wellalage to Cole McConchie, Speared in with the arm from around the wicket, short and on middle. Cole plays it back to the bowler.

Dunith Wellalage to Cole McConchie, This is slower at 75 kph, short and on off. McConchie taps it off the toe end to cover.

Dunith Wellalage to Cole McConchie, Beaten! Pushed through at 90.1 kph, on a nagging length, outside off. Cole attempts the sweep but the ball skids through to go under the blade.

DRINKS BREAK. Sri Lanka have broken the back of this Kiwi middle order clinically and continue to press on in this middle phase. New Zealand scored a reasonable 44/2 in the Powerplay, but since then till this break, they have added 44 runs but have lost 4 important wickets as well. Theekshana and his fellow spinners have not allowed the batters to breathe freely on a pitch where the ball has gripped and constantly kept them second-guessing. With this being the last recognised batting pair for New Zealand, they would aim to bat out all 20 overs, and get to a respectable total, somewhere in the range of 140-150.