Sri Lanka stunned Australia in the T20 World Cup 2026, with coach Sanath Jayasuriya praising ex‑India coaches R Sridhar and Vikram Rathour for their roles in the victory. Pathum Nissanka’s century and disciplined bowling sealed their Super 8 berth.
Sri Lanka delivered one of the biggest shocks of the T20 World Cup 2026, defeating Australia by eight wickets to secure a place in the Super 8 stage. Head coach Sanath Jayasuriya credited the influence of two former Indian team coaches, R Sridhar and Vikram Rathour, for the side’s remarkable turnaround.
Sri Lanka had failed to progress beyond the group stages in the last two editions, but their victory over the 2021 champions marked a significant change. Pathum Nissanka was the star of the night, scoring the tournament’s maiden century and taking a spectacular catch that many fans have already labeled the best of the competition.
Nissanka’s catch at point to dismiss Glenn Maxwell drew widespread praise, but Jayasuriya highlighted the behind‑the‑scenes work of his coaching staff. “R Sridhar is our fielding coach, he’s from India, and also Vikram (Rathour) is our batting coach. Both are really good gentlemen. They do whatever we want to do at practice, which is really good for fielding. With his IPL experience, he’s working with the players really well and gelling well. We have given a lot of confidence to the batters. Vikram and Sridhar were really good,” Jayasuriya said.
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The batting unit responded with confidence, led by Nissanka’s hundred, while the bowlers showed resilience after a difficult start. Australia raced to 100 runs in the first eight overs, but Sri Lanka’s spinners slowed the scoring and restricted them to 181 in 20 overs.
Despite losing fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana to a hamstring injury, Sri Lanka’s attack regrouped. Jayasuriya explained that the dressing room conversation focused on varying pace and exploiting the grip in the pitch. “We wanted to send the message to vary the pace and slow it down as much as possible, and the wicket was gripping a little bit, which we wanted to maximise. Maheesh Theekshana and others bowled well. We had a terrible thing with Matheesha Pathirana, but we came back really well after the first few overs. The bowlers did a great job,” he said.
The victory was built on a combination of Nissanka’s batting brilliance, sharp fielding, and disciplined bowling. It also underscored the impact of Sridhar and Rathour, whose experience with India has been instrumental in shaping Sri Lanka’s approach.
However, the win came at a cost. Sri Lanka have now lost two key bowlers — Wanindu Hasaranga and Pathirana — to injuries. Their absence will test the team’s depth as they continue their spirited run in the next round of the tournament.
