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Australia lost despite a century opening stand, but Pathum Nishanka’s explosive innings made the Australia vs Sri Lanka situation difficult.
Sri Lanka defeated Australia by 8 wickets to virtually eliminate them from the tournament: Nissanka’s 100*. If Zimbabwe defeats Ireland today, the Kangaroos will be eliminated.
The 2021 champion team Australia is on the verge of being eliminated in the first round of the T20 World Cup 2026. On Monday, they were defeated by Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in Colombo.
Battling first, the Australian team was all out for 181 runs in the stipulated 20 overs. Captain Mitchell Marsh (54) and Travis Head (56) scored half-centuries, but after that no batsman could last long.
Chasing, Sri Lanka achieved the target at home ground in 18 overs at the loss of 2 wickets. Opener Pathum Nissanka (100*) scored a century, while Kushal Mendis (51) played a half-century. This match between Australia vs Sri Lanka was also special because the Kangaroo team, once the world champion, is on the verge of being eliminated in the league match itself.
After losing to associate team like Zimbabwe, the influence of Australia team in T20 is decreasing, whereas India is continuously raising its flag in T20.
Only the fourth time a team was all out after a century opening stand
Australia got off to a great start with the pair of Marsh and Travis Head adding 104 runs for the first wicket in 51 balls.
The score looked set to reach 220-240, but the team lost momentum, setting the stage for defeat.
The middle-order batsmen haven’t been able to do anything special in this tournament so far. Team David used to turn matches around with dangerous batting in the IPL, but their explosive style hasn’t been seen in the World Cup yet.
In the middle order of the Kangaroo team, Green (3), Tim David (6), Stoinius (4) and Conolly (3) flopped badly, while English (27) and Maxwell (22) could not convert the good start into a big one. The team was all out for 181 runs.
Only for the fourth time in T-20 and for the first time in the World Cup, a team collapsed after an opening partnership of 100+. After 110/2 in the first 10 overs, Australia made 71/8 in the last 10 overs and gave Sri Lanka a target worth chasing. In this Australia vs Sri Lanka match, Sri Lanka got the advantage of home ground.
Australia vs Sri Lanka Record Corner
For the first time in 19 years, a century was scored against the Kangaroos in the T20 World Cup. Umar Akmal’s record (94, 2014) was broken. This Australia vs. Sri Lanka match was a do-or-die situation for Sri Lanka, but the Lankans won.
182 runs is the biggest successful chase by any team in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s Kushal Mendis became only the fifth batsman to score 50+ runs in three consecutive World Cup innings.
Players with the highest innings in the World Cup for Sri Lanka
| Year | Players | Versus | Score |
| 2026 | Nissanka | Australia | 100* |
| 2010 | Jayawardene | Zimbabwe | 100 |
| 2010 | Jayawardene | West Indies | 98* |
Sri Lanka has only three wins against Australia in the World Cup.
| Tournament | Venue | Difference |
| 1996 ODI | Lahore | 7 Wicket |
| 2009 T20 | Nottingham | 6 Wicket |
| 2026 T20 | Pallekele | 8 Wicket |
Australia vs Sri Lanka Player of the match
Pathan Nissanka was named Player of the Match for his explosive century, scoring an unbeaten 100 off just 52 balls, including 10 fours and 5 sixes.
Is Australia out of the World Cup 2026 T20?
Sri Lanka ace the chase in style to beat Australia by 8 wickets and book their place in Super 8 of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but there is still a chance if Zimbabwe not win versus Ireland then Australia could be in super-8.
How many T20s has Sri Lanka won?
As of January 2026, Sri Lanka has played 227 T20I matches resulting in 101 victories, 118 defeats, 6 ties and 2 no results for an overall winning percentage of 45.77.
Has Australia ever lost a final?
West Indies and Sri Lanka were the first two teams to achieve the feat, beating Australia in the final of the 1975 World Cup and the 1996 World Cup, respectively.
Who took 4 wickets in 4 balls?
Lasith Malinga is a only bowler in cricket history to have taken 4 wickets in 4 balls. Malinga is the only player in the world with two world cup hat-tricks to his mane. He is the frist and until now the only blower in history to take 3 hat- tricks in ODI Cricket.