“You have to evolve with the game”: Sangakkara after World Cup defeat to New Zealand

Former captain Kumar Sangakkara has expressed his anger and disappointment in the way the national cricket team approached the T20 World Cup games as Sri Lanka crashed out of the tournament following a 61-run defeat to New Zealand at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo yesterday (25).

Chasing a modest 169-run target, the Dasun Shanaka-led team was bundled out for just 107, suffering their second consecutive Super eight round defeat and becoming the first team eliminated at this stage.

Sangakkara took to X (formally Twitter) to express his disappointment Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the semifinals for the fifth straight time since lifting the T20 World Cup title in 2014.

‘There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans are devastated, disappointed, angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy,’ he posted on X.

Former captain Sangakkara also asserted that Sri Lanka cricketers must evolve as the world of cricket is changing with time. He said if players do not evolve, Sri Lanka is in danger of being irrelevant in the cricket world.

‘But this responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people. 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 added.

Sri Lanka have struggled for consistency throughout the tournament, barring a sensational win against Australia in the group stage. Sri Lanka progressed to the Super Eight round despite losing to Zimbabwe in their final group match. However, Sri Lanka suffered back-to-back defeats in the Super Eight round against England and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, following the win New Zealand secured their place in the 2026 T20 World Cup semifinal.