Why Kamil Mishara is Not Playing Today in SL vs NZ T20 World Cup Match?

The thrilling action of the T20 World Cup 2026 continues as hosts Sri Lanka face New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in a Super 8 clash. It's going to be a do-or-die for Sri Lanka as they lost their first match of Super 8 against England and would need a win today to stay alive in the ICC T20 World Cup.
A loss today would be enough to eliminate them from the tournament, as a win for the Kiwis will make their case stronger for the semi-final spot. SL skipper Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to bowl first while also announcing one change in the playing XI as they've left out their opener Kamil Mishara for a crucial clash.

Why Kamil Mishara is Not Playing Today against New Zealand?

Sri Lanka opener Kamil Mishara has been dropped from the playing 11 for the SL vs NZ T20 World Cup match today. The team management has instead gone with their veteran all-rounder, Charith Asalanka, as Kamil Mishara replacement for the match.

Apart from being an experienced batter, Asalanka also brings a spin-bowling option for the team, which could be one of the reasons behind this change today. Also, the surface in Colombo, which mainly favours the spinners, can be perfect for Asalanka in this do-or-die game for the island nation.

Kamil Mishara's Performance in T20 World Cup 2026

Sri Lanka showed a lot of trust in their opener Kamil Mishara, who has played three matches in the ongoing tournament so far but managed to score only 28 runs at an embarrassing average of 9.33. It was quite surprising to see the Sri Lanka team management making this change at a crucial juncture during the SL vs NZ T20 World Cup 2026.
On the other hand, Charith Asalanka was one of the best T20 batsmen at one point. Having featured in 74 T20I matches, Asalanka has scored 1,426 runs with the bat while picking up seven wickets with the ball. However, he lost form and was also snubbed from the captaincy later. Asalanka's presence and his experience would be enough to lift the confidence of the island nation today.