New Zealand to take on Sri Lanka in ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8
Their last match against Pakistan was washed out due to rain
Mitchell Santner's side cannot afford to lose this game
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner is confident his team are ready to "put on a show" against Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup on Wednesday.
The Black Caps won three of their four matches in Group D to qualify for the Super 8s, but they have had a long wait to return to action after Saturday's meeting with Pakistan was washed out.
By the time they take on the co-hosts in Colombo, New Zealand will have had an eight-day break since defeating Canada by eight wickets in their final group-stage match.
But Santner knows they cannot use rustiness as an excuse, with Sri Lanka already in a must-win situation and the Black Caps now having little margin for error.
"Any game in the Super 8s is kind of a knockout," Santner said on Tuesday. "We know that it is for us and the same for Sri Lanka.
"They'll come out all guns blazing. We'll be doing everything we can to prepare, but we'll also make sure the guys are fresh."
New Zealand have only lost one of their last four T20 World Cup matches against Sri Lanka (W2 T1) – a 59-run defeat in Chattogram at the 2014 edition.
The Black Caps are aiming to win consecutive matches against them for the first time in the history of the tournament.
New Zealand have won five of their last six T20 World Cup matches (L1), and their only defeat in this stretch came in the only contest where the Black Caps batted first (against South Africa in this year's group stage).
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have alternated between wins and losses across their last seven T20Is at R. Premadasa Stadium (W3 L4), the venue for Wednesday's match, losing their most recent game there against Zimbabwe last Thursday.
"We know Sri Lanka are outstanding at home and they'll know what to do on these wickets," Santner added.
"It's a challenge when you have a tournament across two countries, but every team is in the same boat. It's about which team can skin it differently and adjust the fastest.
"They've played us a lot, so there are no real secrets. We know they have quality all the way through.
"For us, it's about preparing accordingly, adapting to the conditions, and putting on a good show."
