New Zealand national cricket team Crush Sri Lanka national cricket team by 61 Runs

New Zealand national cricket team Crush Sri Lanka national cricket team by 61 Runs, End World Cup Hopes

New Zealand delivered an absolute dominating performance against Sri Lanka, defeating them by 61 runs and officially knocking them out of the World Cup. With this powerful win, the Kiwis have also almost ended Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals. It was a complete turnaround match where New Zealand showed fighting spirit and clinical bowling under pressure.

At one stage, things looked very difficult for New Zealand. They were struggling at 82 for 6, and Sri Lanka seemed to be in full control of the game. However, the 7th wicket partnership between skipper Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie completely changed the momentum. The duo played with patience and smart cricket, building a crucial partnership that helped New Zealand recover and post a competitive total of 169. What looked like a below-par score suddenly became challenging because of their determination.

While chasing 169, Sri Lanka had the worst possible start. Matt Henry struck on the very first ball, removing Pathum Nissanka and putting Sri Lanka under immediate pressure. He didn’t stop there — in the third over, he dismissed Charith Asalanka on the first ball again, shocking the Sri Lankan batting line-up. The early breakthroughs broke their confidence completely.

Then came the magic spell from Rachin Ravindra, who picked up four crucial wickets and destroyed Sri Lanka’s middle order. His outstanding bowling performance ensured there was no comeback. The Sri Lankan batters failed to build partnerships and kept losing wickets at regular intervals, eventually falling short by 61 runs.

With this defeat, Sri Lanka are officially out of the tournament. Pakistan’s hopes are also hanging by a thread. For Pakistan to qualify, a miracle is needed — England must crush New Zealand heavily, and Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka with a massive margin to improve their Net Run Rate. Realistically, however, it looks like the World Cup race is over for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand’s comeback from 82 for 6 to a comfortable 61-run victory shows why they are one of the most disciplined and dangerous teams in world cricket.