Spin twins Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga picked up three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka defeated Ireland by 20 runs in the Group B clash of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Batting first, Sri Lanka struggled at 87/4 and failed to hit a single boundary during the middle overs. However, Kamindu Mendis’s blazing 44 off just 19 balls and Kusal Mendis’s unbeaten 56 off 43 deliveries lifted the hosts to an above-par total of 163/6.
Chasing 164, Ireland looked well placed at 105/2, with Harry Tector set for the final assault alongside a struggling Lorcan Tucker. But both batters fell in quick succession and the chase unravelled thereafter, with Ireland eventually bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs.
Theekshana returned impressive figures of 3/23 from his four overs, while Hasaranga, despite battling hamstring discomfort, delivered a trademark spell of 3/25. Though it was far from a convincing performance, Sri Lanka pocketed two crucial points to tighten their early grip on Group B.
Ireland skipper Paul Stirling survived an early chance but was castled by Theekshana for six in the fourth over. Ross Adair counterattacked with boundaries off Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera, scoring 34 off 23 balls.
Hasaranga, despite his physical discomfort, dismissed Adair with a googly in the eighth over. Tector and Tucker then steadied the chase with a 49-run partnership off 38 balls. However, the dismissals of Tucker (21) by Dunith Wellalage and Tector (40) by Hasaranga in successive overs turned the game decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Ireland’s middle order collapsed under pressure, with Benjamin Calitz and Gareth Delany falling cheaply to Theekshana, while Curtis Campher was sent back by Hasaranga. Chameera and Pathirana then cleaned up the tail as Ireland were dismissed for 143.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, Sri Lanka looked in danger of being bowled out for a modest total before Kusal and Kamindu stitched together a 67-run stand off just 29 balls to propel the hosts past 160. Their late assault rescued the innings after a barren middle-overs phase in which Ireland’s spinners applied the choke and conceded no boundaries.
Sri Lanka managed 60 runs in the final four overs, with Kamindu capitalising on dropped catches and loose bowling. Matthew Humphreys and Barry McCarthy conceded 21 and 19 runs respectively as Ireland lost control at the death.
Sri Lanka’s innings progression told the story clearly: 50/1 in the powerplay, only 45 runs between overs 7 and 15 without a boundary, followed by a turbo-charged finish of 68 runs in the last five overs. While Kusal anchored the innings, Kamindu provided the spark that shifted momentum.
Openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara gave Sri Lanka a steady start with three boundaries before Mishara was caught at mid-off off Mark Adair in the fourth over. Nissanka looked fluent and struck a six off Humphreys but fell for 24 after picking out cover against George Dockrell.
The middle overs belonged firmly to Ireland’s spinners, who kept their lengths tight and extracted enough assistance from the pitch. Dockrell bowled Pavan Rathnayake, while Gareth Delany had Dunith Wellalage hole out to long-on, as boundaries completely dried up between overs seven and fifteen.
From 95/4, Kusal held firm, but the innings truly revived when Kamindu joined him and broke a 57-ball boundary drought with a reverse sweep off Delany. Their counterattack left Ireland scrambling, with runs flowing freely and chances going down.
Although Kamindu and skipper Dasun Shanaka fell in quick succession, Kusal brought up his half-century and guided Sri Lanka to a respectable total, finishing with a knock that included five boundaries.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 163/6 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 56 not out, Kamindu Mendis 44; George Dockrell 2-17, Barry McCarthy 2-40) beat Ireland 143 all out in 19.5 overs (Harry Tector 40, Ross Adair 34; Maheesh Theekshana 3-23, Wanindu Hasaranga 3-25) by 20 runs.
IANS
