Kumar Sangakkara reacts to Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup 2026 exit

The co-host of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka, has been knocked out of the tournament after losing their do-or-die match against New Zealand at R. Premadasa Stadium. Under the captaincy of Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka appeared to be a strong and balanced team in their initial group stage match. They defeated Oman, Ireland, and Australia, easily progressing to the Super 8.

However, everything went wrong when they lost to Zimbabwe in their last group stage game, followed by defeats against England and New Zealand in their first Super 8 matches, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. The co-host has one remaining game, which they played against Pakistan on February 28.

Following Sri Lanka’s exit, former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara shared his opinion. He posted on his social media platform, X, reflecting on his playing days and related disappointments.

“There is a lot of hurt all around. The fans were devastated, disappointed, and angry. The players are hurting badly, too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy. But this responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people,” he wrote.

There is a lot of hurt all round. The fans devastated , disappointed , angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It’s not easy. But this responsibility comes with the turf. It’s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and

— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) February 26, 2026

The left-hander also questioned the state of Sri Lanka’s cricket, stating that the path they are on currently is not the right one and may lead to the country's cricket becoming irrelevant. Furthermore, he raised concerns about Sri Lanka’s current cricket situation. According to him, the Sri Lankan team is heading in the wrong direction and may eventually make the game obsolete.

“There is a lot of work to be done at all levels to course correct. We can’t do the same things over and over and expect different results when the cricket world around us has evolved so quickly. We haven’t adapted, and the danger is irrelevance,” he concluded.

There is a lot of work to be done at all levels to course correct. We can’t do the same things over and over and expect different results when the cricket world around us has evolved so quickly. We haven’t adapted and the danger is irrelevance.

— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) February 26, 2026

The Sri Lanka national cricket team won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2014. They were runners-up in 2009 and 2012 and reached the semi-finals in 2010. However, since their 2014 triumph, Sri Lanka has been striving to return to the semi-finals, and that wait continues this year also.