Both teams already qualified for the Super Eight; Sri Lanka rotate pace attack at Premadasa

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Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first against Zimbabwe in their final group-stage fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium. With both sides having already secured qualification for the Super Eight, the contest offered Sri Lanka a valuable opportunity to test their bench strength and fine-tune combinations ahead of the knockout phase.

A major talking point was the absence of Matheesha Pathirana, whose campaign was cut short due to a calf injury sustained against Australia. Sri Lanka brought in Dilshan Madushanka as his replacement, and the left-arm pacer was drafted straight into the playing XI. Pramod Madushan also returned to the side, creating a direct pace comparison between the two quicks. To accommodate this change and manage workload, Sri Lanka rested frontline fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, retained the same XI that famously stunned Australia earlier in the tournament. Although they would have preferred to bowl first due to forecasts of light drizzle later in the evening, they remained confident of adapting to conditions under lights. With momentum on their side and key players in form, Zimbabwe aimed to carry their strong group-stage performance into the Super Eight.

Sri Lanka Playing XI

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, Dilshan Madushanka

Zimbabwe Playing XI

Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani

With squad rotation, injury management, and Super Eight preparation in focus, the match served as a strategic stepping stone for both Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.