Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara says the national team needs to rethink its T20 batting lineup after losing the series against England 3–0.
He said Sri Lanka must build a powerful top six that can compete with the world’s leading teams.
Speaking after England won the third T20I, Sangakkara said the series had exposed a clear gap between Sri Lanka and the top teams.
“What’s starkly obvious is the chasm between the top two to three sides and the rest,” he said.
Sangakkara said Sri Lanka can remain competitive against teams outside the leading group. However, he said the team needs major improvements to challenge the world’s top four.
Sri Lanka’s Middle-Order Batting Remains a Concern
Sangakkara identified batting as the team’s biggest concern. He said Sri Lanka has improved its powerplay batting in the final two matches. However, the team continued to lose momentum during the middle overs.
He described the problem as a long-standing weakness.
“The real crux of the issue is how Sri Lanka is going to get and assemble a powerhouse top six of batters that can dominate the powerplay,” Sangakkara said.
He also discussed possible changes to the lineup when Kusal Mendis returns.
The selectors will have to make a choice between Kamil Mishara and Lahiru Udara, according to Sangakkara.
He also pointed to Dasun Shanaka’s power-hitting in the middle order and described Kamindu Mendis as a very good player.
Sangakkara said Sri Lanka has a reasonably strong bowling attack.
For him, the bigger priority is finding and developing batters who can meet the demands of modern T20 cricket.
A Cricket Team With a Bigger Commercial Role
The issue extends beyond results on the field.
Cricket is one of Sri Lanka’s most visible international sporting assets. The national team supports commercial activity around broadcasting, sponsorship, international matches and cricket-related tourism.
That makes the quality and competitiveness of the national team important beyond the scorecard.
However, Sangakkara’s comments focused on the sporting foundations needed to compete at the highest level.
He called for consistency in selection, confidence in established players and a clear strategy.
“Get the side right, give them the confidence, back your best players, have a consistent policy in terms of who you put out on the park and then give them the license to play,” he said.
Sangakkara Says Rebuilding Will Take Time
Sangakkara said Sri Lanka should use the experience from the T20 series when preparing for the upcoming ODI matches.
He called for a winning mentality and a clear approach to the 50-over format.
He also accepted that rebuilding Sri Lanka’s limited-overs team will take time.
But he said the team must start putting the right foundations in place now.
“The journey for Sri Lanka is going to be a slow, long one, but they need to put those things in place now,” he said.
For Sri Lanka, the challenge is therefore bigger than finding the right combination for the next match.
It is about developing a batting group that can compete consistently at the highest level while protecting the wider commercial value of the country’s cricket product.
Last modified: September 20, 2026
