Sri Lanka’s head coach, Rumesh Ratnayake, expressed disappointment after his team’s elimination from the semi-final race at the WT20 World Cup, following their defeat to India. Having lost all three matches so far, Sri Lanka came into the tournament with high hopes after a successful 20-month stretch, which included series wins in England and South Africa, and a dominant performance at the Asia Cup.
However, their World Cup campaign has been marked by poor performances, which Ratnayake attributed to skill failures. "It was bad playing through and through this tournament," he said. Despite various strategies and efforts, he acknowledged that the team’s execution, particularly in key moments, had been lacking.
Sri Lanka’s batting has been particularly poor, with the team failing to surpass 100 runs in any of their three matches. Captain Chamari Athapaththu, who had been in great form in previous World Cups, has struggled with single-digit scores in each match, totalling just 10 runs.
Despite these setbacks, Ratnayake remains optimistic about Sri Lanka’s future. He praised the progress of players like Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari, and expressed confidence in the team’s development initiatives. As they prepare for their final match against New Zealand, Ratnayake emphasised the need for an "almighty fight" to salvage their tournament and regain momentum for the future.