Former captain Kumar Sangakkara admitted there was ‘a lot of hurt all round’ after co-hosts Sri Lanka were knocked out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 following a heavy 61-run defeat to New Zealand in Colombo 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.

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.

“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.