Sri Lanka's chance to push Australia towards the exit door

Sri Lanka head into the new week at the T20 World Cup with a tasty proposition ahead of them—they could push Australia to the edge of the cliff. It's a thought that would've been unthinkable even a fortnight ago as Australia entered the tournament as one of the favourites. But as it stands, that's a distant dream thanks to a spirited Zimbabwe who cracked open Group B with a win over the 2021 champions.

Australia have grappled with injuries and key absences, but falling short with the bat against Zimbabwe should still have set off alarm bells. They currently sit third in the points table. A loss won't automatically knock them out but push them towards that reality.

If they overcome the co-hosts, the Group B table will undergo a dramatic reshuffle. There's even a situation where all three contenders—Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Australia—could end up with six points each and will have their Net Run Rate dictate their fate. That, however, is a headache for the future. For now, Australia need two points to cling on.

As for Sri Lanka, there are no knots to their equation. A win will take them to six points and guarantee them a Super 8s spot.

When: Australia vs Sri Lanka, 30th Match, Group B, February 16, 7 PM IST
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
What to expect: Only one game at this venue has seen Sri Lanka smash 225/5 against Oman. But that was an 11 AM fixture, leaving a bit of unknown for Monday's evening game.

Australia might get a boost with Mitchell Marsh's return. Marcus Stoinis said the all-rounder was to have a training session on the eve of the game and that he's confident of returning. If Marsh comes through well, Glenn Maxwell might have to sit out. Stoinis also confirmed his hand was fine after taking a knock in the last game.

Probable XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann

Sri Lanka come into this fixture on the back of a big win but might still consider changes. Opener Kamil Mishara has scores of 14 and 8 in the two games so far and could make way for Kusal Perera.

Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara/Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana

Key Stats:

• Since 2025, Travis Head averages 12.83 and strikes at 125.20 in T20Is.
• Adam Zampa has 21 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 5.69.
• Australia have beaten Sri Lanka in 13 of their 15 World Cup encounters (ODI and T20I).

Quotes:

"What I really like about this bunch and the entire 24 who I've worked with in the last three months is their ability to learn, willing to get better. There are a lot of positives." — R Sridhar on Sri Lanka players

"The boys are pretty disappointed with the result [against Zimbabwe], but we've got no one to blame but ourselves and obviously Zimbabwe played really well." — Marcus Stoinis