Argus News - Sangakkara Reflects On Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup Exit: 'Haven't Adapted, Danger Is Irrelevance'

New Delhi, Feb 26: Former captain Kumar Sangakkara acknowledged "a lot of hurt all round" after co-host Sri Lanka was eliminated from the Men's T20 World Cup following a 61-run loss to New Zealand on Wednesday.

Reacting publicly after the elimination, Sangakkara acknowledged the emotional toll on players and supporters while warning that Sri Lanka must urgently evolve to remain competitive in modern cricket.

“There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans are devastated, disappointed, and angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy. But this responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people,” Sangakkara wrote on X.

There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans devastated , disappointed , angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy. But this responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and

— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) February 26, 2026

His remarks came after Sri Lanka’s campaign ended in front of their home crowd at the R Premadasa Stadium, where they failed to recover from a middle-order collapse while chasing 169. Despite reducing New Zealand to 84/6 earlier, Sri Lanka lost control as Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie rebuilt the innings before Rachin Ravindra’s match-defining 4-27 dismantled the hosts’ chase.

Reflecting on the broader implications, Sangakkara stressed that Sri Lanka’s struggles were not limited to a single match or tournament, pointing to deeper structural concerns.

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“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 wrote further.

Sri Lanka’s exit after consecutive Super Eights defeats marked a disappointing outcome for a team that entered the tournament with expectations of leveraging home conditions.

With Sri Lanka, one of the co-hosting nations, out of contention, attention will now shift to the other host, India, who are also in a crucial position in their race to the semi-finals after losing their Super Eights opener to South Africa by 76 runs.

(IANS)