Maheesh Theekshana admits thier batting cost them a spot in Super 8

Maheesh Theekshana has asserted that Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign has been a complete disaster, as they are on the verge of elimination without even reaching the Super 8 stages. Despite being former champions, they were placed in Group D alongside South Africa and Bangladesh, and unfortunately lost to both teams in crucial matches. To make things worse, on June 12, their game against Nepal was abandoned due to rain without a single ball being bowled.

During the press conference held on Wednesday, Theekshana honestly evaluated the team’s performance, acknowledging that their batting was subpar and they failed to properly assess the playing conditions. The spinner emphasized that their defeats against South Africa and Bangladesh clearly demonstrated that Sri Lanka did not deserve a spot in the Super 8.

“This year, everything went awry. Our batting was lackluster, and we failed to accurately gauge the conditions and execute our plans. As a team, we are currently facing a challenging situation for the upcoming match. Looking back at the last two games, it is evident that we did not showcase our best cricket. Therefore, I believe we did not earn the Super 8 spot based on our performance in the initial matches. However, we still have one game remaining, and we will strive to give our utmost,” expressed Theekshana.

Theekshana further expressed disappointment, stating that they had high expectations for the tournament and entered the World Cup in a favorable position. However, he admitted that the team made numerous mistakes.

“Not at all. We had great aspirations for this World Cup. I am dissatisfied with our team’s performance. We had a positive mindset, and both our bowlers and batsmen had prepared well in the previous tournament. We were in a promising position when we entered this competition. Unfortunately, as a team, we made several errors, which prevented us from progressing to the Super 8,” Theekshana remarked.

Sri Lanka’s final match will be against Netherlands on June 17.