Colombo, February 25 – Charith Asalanka has been included in Sri Lanka's playing eleven as captain, as Dasun Shanaka won the toss and chose to bowl first against New Zealand in a Super Eights match of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
This match is crucial for Sri Lanka to stay in contention for the semi-finals. Meanwhile, New Zealand is also eager to secure their first win after their previous match against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain.
After winning the toss, Shanaka said that Asalanka replaces Kamil Mishara, which will lead to a slight adjustment in their top order. "The main lesson for our batters from the game against England is to take the innings deep and show more responsibility in the middle overs.
"I thought our bowlers did a pretty good job in the last match, and we expect them to deliver a similar performance tonight. There might be some assistance for the spinners, but you never really know what the surface will offer, so we felt bowling first was the right decision," he said, amidst huge cheers from the crowd.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said that Cole McConchie comes into the playing eleven in place of Jimmy Neesham. "It's good to be here. It's been a few days without a proper game – obviously, we were up against the rain the other night, and there's not much you can do about that – but we've had some good training sessions, and we're ready for this big match.
"The challenge will be to take on the Sri Lankan spinners. We've been playing in India, so the conditions aren't unfamiliar, and it's been pleasing to see different guys step up at different times. That's all you can really ask for. The two at the top have done an outstanding job, and hopefully, they can set the tone again.
"The surface looks good, so the aim is to put up a strong score. That one change gives us a bit more spin in the middle order. It adds balance, but a lot will depend on the ground dimensions. I think whichever side is smarter in using the bigger side of the boundary will have a pretty good day," he said.
Playing XIs:
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, and Lockie Ferguson
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, and Dilshan Madushanka
