The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is reaching a critical stage, and for New Zealand and Sri Lanka, the pressure is intense. Match 46 will take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium, where both teams need a win to stay in the race for the semi-finals.
Sri Lanka comes into this match after a tough 51-run loss to England in Kandy. Their batsmen struggled against spin bowling, an issue they need to fix quickly before facing New Zealand’s spinners. As co-hosts, playing in front of a home crowd adds extra pressure.
New Zealand’s opening Super 8 match against Pakistan was canceled due to rain, resulting in just one point for them. They will aim to establish a rhythm against a Sri Lankan team that appears to be under stress.
NZ vs SL, T20 World Cup 2026: Match Details
- Date and Time: February 25; 7:00 pm IST / 1:30 am GMT / 7:00 pm local
- Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
NZ vs SL, Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
Matches played: 28 | New Zealand won: 16 | Sri Lanka won: 9 | No result/Tie: 3
R. Premadasa Stadium Pitch Report
The R. Premadasa Stadium features a black-soil wicket that tends to play slowly, changing as the match goes on. The surface gives consistent bounce and allows smooth hitting early on, but it becomes more favorable for spinners as the game progresses. Batters may struggle to play aggressively, making it important to rotate the strike and build partnerships.
The average score in the first innings is around 143, leading to a tactical battle. Under lights, the pitch can become slower, and dew might help the team batting second. Fast bowlers may find little help from the pitch and will need to use variations to succeed.
Squads
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Dushmantha Chameera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara
NZ vs SL, T20 World Cup 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- New Zealand wins the toss and bats first
- New Zealand’s Powerplay score: 50-60
- New Zealand’s total score: 170-180
Case 2:
- Sri Lanka wins the toss and bats first
- Sri Lanka’s Powerplay score: 45-55
- Sri Lanka’s total score: 160-170
Match result: Team batting first expected to win the match.
