Sri Lanka pulled off a famous five-wicket win over New Zealand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, chasing down 151 to finish on 153 for 5 with two balls to spare. Nilakshika Silva anchored the chase with a perfectly-paced 54 not out off 37, while Kaushini Nuthyangana produced a nerveless 24 not out off 14 to close out a tight final over.
The result leaves New Zealand winless after their first two matches and facing must-win games against England, Scotland and Ireland. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, moved onto the points table after their opening defeat to England and will now turn their attention to a meeting with West Indies on Sunday, with a win there boosting their semi-finals push.
How Sri Lanka’s chase turned from trouble to triumph
Sri Lanka’s pursuit was jolted early by a decisive New Zealand spell between overs five and nine, when they took four wickets for 10 runs. That burst put the chase on a knife edge and threatened to take the game away, especially as the required rate climbed above nine.
Nilakshika arrived at 55 for 4 with the chase in danger and Sri Lanka down to their last three recognised batters. Although she was timing the ball cleanly, she initially struggled to pierce the infield and did not find her first boundary until her 13th ball. Kavisha Dilhari’s intent at the other end proved crucial in keeping the asking rate from spiralling out of reach.
The chase began to swing after the 12th over as Nilakshika found gaps more regularly. She struck boundaries through wide mid-on and extra cover, and then launched a six over deep midwicket. New Zealand’s fielding, however, became a major subplot: a missed chance in the 10th over proved costly, with Bree Illing unable to hold a sitter at short fine leg when Nilakshika was on 1. Sri Lanka’s batters also benefited from ground fielding that “fell away” in the closing overs as pressure reversed.
Nilakshika and Dilhari added 50 for the fifth wicket to repair the innings, but New Zealand still looked favourites when Dilhari was run out in a mix-up, leaving 45 needed from 30 deliveries. Instead of stalling, Sri Lanka found a finishing surge through Nilakshika and Nuthyangana, whose sixth-wicket partnership produced 48 runs off 28 balls.
The key momentum shift came in the 18th over when Sri Lanka needed a late push. With 28 required off the last two overs, Nilakshika struck two boundaries off Melie Kerr: a square drive through cover point and a sweep past fine leg. Those blows dragged the equation back into Sri Lanka’s favour and set up a finish that Nuthyangana would complete.
Nuthyangana, who had already had a strong game behind the stumps, outpaced even Nilakshika during the final stand. She mixed clean hitting with busy running, and with two needed off three balls, she struck through square leg to spark celebrations in the Sri Lanka dugout.
New Zealand’s 150 and the moments that cost them
Earlier, New Zealand posted 150 for 6, a total that “always seemed a little light” on a Southampton surface described as a little slow but largely good for batting. Sophie Devine and Melie Kerr made 45 each to hold the innings together, with Kerr also sharing a 49-run stand with Georgia Plimmer. Sri Lanka’s bowlers, particularly their spinners, kept New Zealand in check through the middle overs and found timely breakthroughs.
In the chase, New Zealand’s best work came during the wicket-taking burst in overs five to nine. Offspinner Nensi Patel led that passage and finished with 2 for 23, while Illing removed Chamari Athapaththu for 27 and Kerr produced an excellent direct-hit run out.
But the missed opportunities proved decisive. The dropped catch that would have dismissed Nilakshika early, combined with late lapses in ground fielding, allowed Sri Lanka to keep the chase alive and then finish strongly. With Nilakshika’s composure and Nuthyangana’s finishing touch, Sri Lanka turned a difficult position into a landmark win that reshapes both teams’ early tournament outlook.
