Settled Sri Lanka look to break hoodoo against new-look New Zealand

Settled Sri Lanka look to break hoodoo against new-look New Zealand

It will be a test for Sri Lanka, whose T20 success this year has largely come at home, against a New Zealand team without several regulars

While most of the world’s attention will be on the Boxing Day Tests in Australia and South Africa – both with strong ramifications on the World Test Championship final – there’s still plenty on the line for New Zealand and Sri Lanka ahead of this three-match T20I series starting Saturday. Here are some of the key talking points to keep an eye on over the next week.

Can Sri Lanka break their New Zealand hoodoo?

“The bounce and seam movement – that’s the key difference,” said Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka, offering a brief assessment of the challenging conditions they will face. In previous tours, Sri Lanka’s batters have struggled with these conditions, while their bowlers have often found it hard to generate the same level of assistance as the home team. However, this Sri Lankan squad could have a better chance than many of their predecessors.

New Zealand’s white-ball captain, Mitchell Santner, also acknowledged Sri Lanka’s strength, stating, “If you look at their team, it’s probably one of the best they’ve had as a collective.”

“They’ve got everything covered. The fast bowlers are a challenge, and we know how good their spinners are. Their top six is dangerous throughout,” said Santner. “I believe the team they have now can carry them forward for many years.”

This praise is well-deserved, especially considering Sri Lanka’s strong year, aside from their T20 World Cup performance. However, most of their success over the past year has been achieved on home soil, with their red-ball team doing most of the traveling. This tour presents the white-ball team with an opportunity to test themselves in unfamiliar conditions and potentially secure a white-ball series win in New Zealand.

New Zealand continue their rebuild

Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, and Matt Henry have all returned to the white-ball squad, strengthening it compared to the one that toured Sri Lanka. However, with key players like Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, Adam Milne, Tim Seifert, Kane Williamson, and Devon Conway away on franchise commitments, and Tom Latham, Will Young, and Will O’Rourke rested for the T20 series, New Zealand’s lineup still has a relatively inexperienced look.

Despite this, the team’s success in securing a commendable 1-1 series draw in Sri Lanka with an even less experienced group brings some quiet optimism. Playing in front of home support, there’s hope for further progress.

Fast-bowling allrounder Zakary Foulkes, who impressed in Sri Lanka, will be looking to build on his strong performance. Meanwhile, players like Mitchell Hay and Tim Robinson—who faced difficulties scoring runs on the slow subcontinental pitches—will be eager to prove themselves in more familiar conditions and possibly make a case for selection in the 2026 World Cup.

Bevon Jacobs’ rising stock

Life is looking up for Bevon Jacobs, with an IPL contract followed by a maiden call-up to the national side.

Originally, Sri Lanka might have had an early opportunity to see him in action during the tour game in Lincoln, but Jacobs never got a chance to bat.

This turn of events could work to Jacobs’ advantage, as the opposition has limited information to strategize against him.

With a quick outfield and ideal overhead conditions anticipated at Mount Maunganui, all eyes will likely be on the powerful middle-order batter if he makes his debut, as expected.

Will settled Sri Lanka experiment?

A key feature of Sanath Jayasuriya’s tenure as head coach has been Sri Lanka’s approach of giving players extended opportunities. This strategy aims to allow underperforming players to regain form while rewarding consistent performers. However, it has also meant that fringe players have had limited chances to prove themselves.

The home series against New Zealand presented an opportunity for such players, especially with the visitors fielding a weakened side. Despite this, Sri Lanka chose to field a full-strength squad, missing the chance to provide younger players with valuable international experience.

This decision has led to an unusual situation where Dinesh Chandimal has been selected for multiple squads but hasn’t played a T20I since 2022, and Chamidu Wickramasinghe, who impressed in the LPL, has hardly been given a game. There are also growing concerns about Asitha Fernando’s workload, given he has played nearly every match he has been available for.

For this tour, Sri Lanka has again chosen a strong squad. However, if players like Chandimal or Wickramasinghe are to see action, Sri Lanka will need to be open to making changes to a settled XI, something they’ve been reluctant to do so far.