Australia slump to defeat vs Sri Lanka, face T20 World Cup exit

Sri Lanka stormed into the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup as opener Pathum Nissanka smashed the tournament’s first century, leaving Australia on the verge of elimination.

Nissanka struck an unbeaten 100 off just 52 balls, hitting five sixes and 10 fours. Chasing Australia’s 181, Sri Lanka reached 184 for 2 with two overs to spare in Kandy, sealing a comfortable eight-wicket victory on Monday.

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh admitted to the pressure after the loss. He said the team was now relying on results elsewhere and described the dressing room as emotional and disappointed, adding that the side had not been at its best.

Nissanka built the chase with a 97-run partnership off 66 balls with Kusal Mendis for the second wicket. The wicketkeeper-batsman continued his strong form with another half-century in the tournament.

The opener later added 76 runs from 34 balls with Pavan Rathnayake after Mendis fell. Nissanka played fluent cover drives against the spinners and stylish flicks against the fast bowlers during his match-winning knock.

Rathnayake struck the winning runs soon after Nissanka reached his century, with the crowd at Pallekele International Stadium erupting in celebration. A boundary to a deep square on the next ball sealed the victory for Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka entered the tournament after a 3-0 series defeat to England, but has since found strong momentum, winning all three of their matches.

Australia’s campaign, meanwhile, has been disrupted by injuries. Marsh returned after missing the first two games and gave his side a quick start with 54, while Travis Head scored 56. The pair added 104 runs in just 51 balls for the opening wicket.

However, Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers pulled things back, restricting Australia to 181. Leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha claimed 3 for 37 as Australia collapsed, losing their final six wickets for just 21 runs in four overs.

The defeat leaves Australia facing a likely exit, while Sri Lanka marches confidently into the Super Eights.

Sri Lanka reach T20 World Cup Super Eights; Australia near elimination

Australia’s fate in the T20 World Cup now depends on other results. A win for Zimbabwe over Ireland on Tuesday, or against Sri Lanka on Thursday, would confirm Australia’s elimination from the tournament.

If Zimbabwe loses both matches, Australia will still need a big victory over Oman in their final group game on Friday to qualify on net run rate. A Zimbabwe win over Ireland would also mean Australia fails to reach the knockout phase for the first time since 2009.

Elsewhere in the T20 World Cup, England secured their place in the Super Eights after surviving a scare from Italy in Kolkata. England recovered from 105 for 5 to post 202 for 7, before bowling Italy out for 178.

In New Delhi, Afghanistan bounced back from two defeats to beat the United Arab Emirates by five wickets. The victory kept Afghanistan alive in the tournament and also confirmed South Africa’s place in the Super Eights.