ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 30: SL vs AUS, head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs
Sri Lanka face Australia in Match 30 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Pallekele in a crucial Group B encounter.
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Match 30th of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Sri Lanka will face Australia on Monday, 16 February 2026, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy. As both teams are still in the running to qualify for the knockouts, this Group B match is very important for both teams.
Sri Lanka has looked quite strong at home. They have managed to win matches against teams like Ireland and Oman, even winning by a large margin of 105 runs in one of the matches. They are playing on home turf, and this has helped them. Both their batting and bowling units have performed well. Sri Lanka will see this match as a great chance to defeat a top side and improve their position in the group.
Australia are under pressure after a surprising loss to Zimbabwe in their previous game. Before the World Cup, they also struggled in a T20I series against Pakistan, which raised questions about their form in subcontinental conditions. The team would now look to bounce back as soon as possible, and for this, experienced players like Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis would be expected to take on more responsibility.
SL vs AUS: Head-to-Head in T20Is
- Matches Played: 26
- Australia Won: 15
- Sri Lanka Won: 10
- Tied: 1
- No Result: 0
SL vs AUS: Pitch Report
The pitch at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is usually balanced. It helps both fast bowlers and batters. At the start, the pitch is hard and dry, so the new ball comes nicely onto the bat and batters can score freely. As the game goes on, the pitch slows down and becomes easier for batting. However, batting under lights can be difficult, especially in the second innings. The average first innings score here is around 175 runs.
SL vs AUS: Predicted Playing XIs
Sri Lanka (SL):
Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana
Australia (AUS):
Travis Head (c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Ellis
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