Farveez Maharoof admits Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup exit is 'painful'

The loss, which ended Sri Lanka’s campaign as co-hosts, came after they had already dropped their opening two Super 8s matches. Chasing 169, Sri Lanka faltered to 107-8, falling well short of New Zealand’s 168-7 and confirming their elimination while boosting the Black Caps’ semi-final hopes.

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to bowl, and his decision initially appeared justified. New Zealand were reduced to 84-6 and then 90-6 after 15 overs.

However, Mitchell Santner’s blistering 47 off 26 balls, featuring four sixes and two boundaries, and Cole McConchie’s 31 from 23 deliveries revived the innings.

The pair added 80 from just 43 balls for the seventh wicket, with McConchie taking 18 runs off Dushmantha Chameera in the 17th over and Maheesh Theekshana conceding 21, including two wides, in the 18th.

Chameera and Theekshana claimed three wickets apiece, but Sri Lanka’s reply never recovered after Matt Henry bowled Pathum Nissanka with the first ball. Henry finished with 2-3, while Rachin Ravindra’s career-best 4-27 and disciplined spin strangled the chase.

"I'm going to put it very simple: it's hurtful, it's painful and it's shameful," said Maharoof.

"It's not a pitch that you can play through the line, I get it. But the way some of the batters just gifted their wickets away, apart from Pathum Nissanka's delivery [from Matt Henry], every other dismissal was a soft dismissal, giving the wickets away, just like the England game, where all ten were soft dismissals.

"Continuing the same trend into another game, a must-win game, shows Sri Lanka were not up to the mark with the bat."