‘It’s a Sad Story’ - Aakash Chopra breaks down Sri Lanka’s weakness ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
It is a sad story. To be very honest, they were expected to do well in the Asia Cup, but they didn't. I felt they would play the final, but they couldn't," he said.
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Former India batter Aakash Chopra has delivered a worrying assessment of co-hosts Sri Lanka as they prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, calling their current situation a "sad story" and pinpointing a lack of collective team effort as a major concern.
Sri Lanka, champions of the WT20 in 2014, enter this edition with home-ground advantage and what appears, on paper, to be a decent group of players. But according to Chopra, they have not been at all a consistent side in the last few years.
"Their recent form. They don't have form at all. You haven't played well against any big team. A thing worth watching is that they haven't beaten any top team apart from New Zealand in the last one to one-and-a-half years. It is a sad story. To be very honest, they were expected to do well in the Asia Cup, but they didn't. I felt they would play the final, but they couldn't," he said on his YouTube channel.
Their leadership, too, have seen chopping and changing, with Dasun Shanaka regaining the spot duties after failures under Charith Asalanka’s leadership.
"So, Sri Lanka have failed to deliver, and they also made changes because of that. They have gone towards Dasun Shanaka in place of Charith Asalanka, that they would make him the captain because a big tournament is coming. So Sri Lanka are fighting their own battles," he observed.
The concerns come amid a period of inconsistent results for Sri Lanka, including a recent series whitewash by England, where their batting and bowling both had trouble sustaining pressure in key phases.
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Sri Lanka’s fast bowling is weak: Aakash Chopra
The former Delhi batter further stated that Sri Lanka’s fast bowling will create problems for themselves, especially if Eshan Malinga does not get fit ahead of the World Cup. He sustained a shoulder injury during the recently concluded T20I series against England.
"The pace bowling unit could have a few difficulties, especially if Eshan Malinga isn't available. Then Matheesha Pathirana, very inconsistent. Dushmantha Chameera, if the conditions help swing, he does very well, or else there is a slight weakness in fast bowling," he concluded.
Sri Lanka, co-hosts of the marquee event, are placed in Group B, along with Australia, Ireland, Oman, and Zimbabwe.
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