Sri Lanka's long transition faces its sternest test

Snapshot

Sri Lanka enter the 2026 T20 World Cup still in transition, with results since the 2024 cycle underlining how incomplete that process remains. A record of 13 wins and 19 losses (including two Super Over defeats against India) since the previous World Cup, with bilateral series victories only against West Indies and Zimbabwe, points to incremental progress rather than a decisive shift. During this period, they failed to reach the Asia Cup final and also lost a tri-series final in Pakistan.

There is greater role clarity and a more settled core, but competitiveness over the last couple of years has arrived in patches rather than as a sustained trait. This World Cup is less about reinvention and more about testing whether signs of stability can finally translate into consistency against stronger opposition.

The squad, and what it tells us

Squad: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga

Sri Lanka's squad reflects a side still banking on continuity, with 10 players retained from the 2024 World Cup. Kusal Perera, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake and Eshan Malinga are the new additions for 2026, while Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Nuwan Thushara and Dilshan Madushanka have made way.

The batting revolves around Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis at the top, with the former being the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka in this cycle. The middle order features Charith Asalanka, captain Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Kamindu Mendis, who came in late for Dhananjaya de Silva, with batting depth largely coming through all-rounders rather than specialist batters.

Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana remain the tactical axis of the bowling attack, with spin their primary weapon. Alongside them, Matheesha Pathirana, Dushmantha Chameera and Eshan Malinga form a trusted pace unit, though Thushara was not considered. Sri Lanka are likely to rely on their bowlers to do most of the heavy lifting, but while most roles are covered, genuine middle-overs batting insurance remains thin.

The road to the World Cup

Results in the current cycle have offered limited encouragement. A 3-3 record in the Asia Cup meant Sri Lanka missed out on a final berth. In the tri-series in Pakistan, they lost three of five matches, including a defeat to Zimbabwe and the final to Pakistan. They then drew a bilateral series at home against Pakistan. Leading into the World Cup, defeats have continued in home matches against England.

Last five completed T20Is: L-L-W-L-L

The way they play

The current Sri Lanka side plays a more measured brand of T20 cricket than earlier iterations. An overall strike rate of 125.83 since the last World Cup, better only than Oman, Scotland, Netherlands, Italy, Nepal and Afghanistan among the 20 teams set to feature in 2026, underlines their batting limitations. An average of 21.11 per wicket, better only than Scotland, Oman and Zimbabwe, tells a similar story. Their strength lies in adaptability on slower surfaces and an ability to manufacture wickets without relying on pace. Their weakness remains batting depth when early wickets fall.

Who can bend a match in 10 balls

Wanindu Hasaranga remains Sri Lanka's most potent momentum-shifter, capable of flipping games with a short spell or a late cameo. He leads their wicket-taking charts in this cycle with 41 wickets in 26 innings at an average of 18.29, a strike rate of 14.6 and an economy of 7.5.

Pathum Nissanka is the other key figure, with Sri Lanka's batting hopes revolving around him. He has scored 1133 runs in 32 innings at a strike rate of 140.22, with eight fifties and a hundred, and is crucial to their starts.

Scheduling

Sri Lanka's group-stage schedule is well spaced, with familiarity of conditions an added advantage. Three-day gaps after their first two matches and a two-day break before the final game in Group B should aid recovery and course correction. They also have a day match against Oman (11 AM start) and an afternoon game against Zimbabwe (3 PM start), while their matches against Ireland and Australia start at 7 PM.

Banana-peel fixture

The match against Zimbabwe could prove tricky. Sri Lanka have lost three times to them since 2024, including a defeat in Pakistan in November 2025.

What a good World Cup looks like

The T20 World Cup returns to Sri Lanka for the first time since 2012, when they reached the final before losing to West Indies. They went on to win the 2014 edition in Bangladesh, defeating India in the final. Much has changed since then. Sri Lanka's star power has diminished, and performances have followed suit. They have failed to reach the knockout stage in each of the last four editions, including a group-stage exit in 2024. In that context, as co-hosts in 2026, a semifinal appearance may represent their most significant achievement in recent years.

Note: Statistics in this preview are updated up to Sri Lanka's second T20I against England on February 1.