Sri Lanka approach T20 World Cup with more optimism than certainty

• Play South Africa in their opening match on Monday 

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka approaches the ninth edition of the ICC T20 World Cup co-hosted by USA and West Indies more with optimism than assuredness.

Gone are the days when Sri Lanka was assured of victory when the likes of the Dilshans, the Jayawardenes, the Sangakkaras and the Malingas played. That era ended in 2015.

Sri Lanka has not reached the knockout stage of any ICC conducted World Cup tournament since the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia when they lost to South Africa in the quarter-finals. It was the year from which their decline in white ball cricket started.

There is always an air of uncertainty with the present Sri Lanka team where until a match is won, one cannot be certain of a win. Such is the inconsistency of the team. There are no cricketing icons in the side that one would pay money to go a long way and watch. Individually, there are several match winners, but as a team they lack consistency. It is a long shot asking the present side to go and win the trophy. If they can, kudos to them. Otherwise, if they get as far as the semi-finals it would be an achievement.

Sri Lanka has some of the finest T20I bowlers going around in Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara with the new ball, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana in the middle overs and Matheesha Pathirana at the death.

But it is the inconsistency in the batting that poses a major problem. Unless the top order batters lead the way and put up challenging totals in excess of 180, the bowlers will find it difficult to contain the opposition.

Going into the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka’s series wins have been against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, all three teams ranked below them. They have yet to play a team ranked higher than them since losing 2-0 to New Zealand in April 2023.

Openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have a big job on their hands to make full use of the power play and score as many runs as possible so that the middle order and the power hitters who follow can get Sri Lanka to a total which they are capable of defending with their bowling line up. The inability of the batters to do that consistently leaves a big question mark on Sri Lanka’s ability. They cannot afford to lose wickets at the top, inside the power play which was evidenced in the three series they played prior to the T20 World Cup. In T20 cricket batting is the key, and runs on the board is half the task completed towards winning.

Sri Lanka’s batting and bowling has not been tested against top ranked sides. Their opening fixture of the T20 World Cup against South Africa on 3 June at New York will provide the answer to that assertion. In their group (Group D), South Africa and Bangladesh are the two tough games for Sri Lanka, not ruling out associate members the Netherlands and Nepal who are capable of creating an upset. One aspect that Sri Lanka can take into their game against South Africa is that the Proteas are recovering from a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of host country West Indies in the three-match T20I series concluded last week. That defeat saw South Africa slip down three places to seventh in the ICC T20I rankings, one above Sri Lanka who are ranked eighth.

Sri Lanka’s second match is on 8 June at Dallas against Bangladesh, whom they beat in their own den recently. Bangladesh will be itching to have one back. The first two matches are crucial for Sri Lanka’s chances of qualifying for a place in the Super Eight. Only the top two teams from each of the four groups go through to the Super Eights.

If Sri Lanka can keep this team together their best chance to win the T20 World Cup is in the next edition in 2026 when they co-host the tournament with India. As co-hosts Sri Lanka will gain automatic qualification with India to participate in the tournament.