Reacting publicly after the elimination, Sangakkara acknowledged the emotional toll on players and supporters while warning that Sri Lanka must urgently evolve to remain competitive in modern cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere is a lot of hurt all round. The fans are devastated, disappointed, and angry. The players are hurting badly too. I have been in similar dressing rooms. It\u2019s not easy. But this responsibility comes with the turf. It\u2019s a burden and a great privilege to represent your country and your people,\u201d Sangakkara wrote on X.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His remarks came after Sri Lanka\u2019s campaign ended in front of their home crowd at the R Premadasa Stadium, where they failed to recover from a middle-order collapse while chasing 169. Despite reducing New Zealand to 84\/6 earlier, Sri Lanka lost control as Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie rebuilt the innings before Rachin Ravindra\u2019s match-defining 4-27 dismantled the hosts\u2019 chase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on the broader implications, Sangakkara stressed that Sri Lanka\u2019s struggles were not limited to a single match or tournament, pointing to deeper structural concerns.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere is a lot of work to be done at all levels to course correct. We can\u2019t do the same things over and over and expect different results when the cricket world around us has evolved so quickly. We haven\u2019t adapted, and the danger is irrelevance,\u201d he wrote further.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on the broader implications, Sangakkara stressed that Sri Lanka\u2019s struggles were not limited to a single match or tournament, pointing to deeper structural concerns.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With Sri Lanka, one of the co-hosting nations, out of contention, attention will now shift to the other host, India, who are also in a crucial position in their race to the semi-finals after losing their Super Eights opener to South Africa by 76 runs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n