Sri Lanka got their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign off to a winning start with a solid 20-run victory over Ireland in their opening Group match played today at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
Ireland captain Paul Stirling won the toss and elected to bowl first, sending the hosts in to bat. Sri Lanka made full use of the opportunity, posting a competitive total of 163 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Kusal Mendis anchored the innings with a well-crafted half-century, top-scoring with 56 runs off 43 deliveries, which included five boundaries. He was well supported by Kamindu Mendis, who provided late-innings impetus with a blistering cameo of 44 off just 19 balls, smashing four fours and two sixes at an impressive strike rate of 231.58.
The pair added a crucial 67-run partnership off just 29 balls for the fifth wicket, helping Sri Lanka accelerate in the death overs and set Ireland a challenging target.
In reply, Ireland were restricted to 143 runs, as Sri Lanka’s spin attack proved decisive. Spin twins Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana caused constant trouble for the Irish batters, picking up three wickets each to derail the chase.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Paul Stirling b George Dockrell | 24 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 104.35 |
| Kamil Mishara | c Barry McCarthy b Mark Adair | 14 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 127.27 |
| Kusal Mendis | not out | 56 | 43 | 5 | 0 | 130.23 |
| Pavan Rathnayake | b George Dockrell | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 55.56 |
| Dunith Wellalage | c George Dockrell b Gareth Delany | 10 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 76.92 |
| Kamindu Mendis | c George Dockrell b Barry McCarthy | 44 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 231.58 |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Mark Adair b Barry McCarthy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | not out | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Extras | 9 (b 0 , lb 0 , nb 1, w 8, pen 0) |
| Total | 163/6 (20 Overs, RR: 8.15) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Humphreys | 4 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 11.00 | |
| Mark Adair | 4 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 8.25 | |
| Barry McCarthy | 3 | 0 | 40 | 2 | 13.33 | |
| George Dockrell | 4 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 4.25 | |
| Gareth Delany | 4 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 6.00 | |
| Harry Tector | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Stirling | b Maheesh Theekshana | 6 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 46.15 |
| Mark Adair | b Wanindu Hasaranga | 34 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 147.83 |
| Harry Tector | c Pavan Rathnayake b Wanindu Hasaranga | 40 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 117.65 |
| Lorcan Tucker | c Kamil Mishara b Dunith Wellalage | 21 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 116.67 |
| Curtis Campher | c Dasun Shanaka b Dunith Wellalage | 13 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 118.18 |
| Ben Calitz | st Kusal Mendis b Maheesh Theekshana | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Gareth Delany | c Dushmantha Chameera b Maheesh Theekshana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| George Dockrell | not out | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Mark Adair | c Dasun Shanaka b Dushmantha Chameera | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 200.00 |
| Matthew Humphreys | b Matheesha Pathirana | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 6 (b 1 , lb 3 , nb 0, w 2, pen 0) |
| Total | 137/9 (19.5 Overs, RR: 6.91) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dushmantha Chameera | 3 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 8.33 | |
| Mahesh Theekshana | 4 | 0 | 23 | 3 | 5.75 | |
| Matheesha Pathirana | 2.5 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 10.40 | |
| Dunith Wellalage | 4 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 7.00 | |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 4 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 6.25 | |
| Dasun Shanaka | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 6.00 | |
Young pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana also made a key contribution, claiming two wickets to further tighten Sri Lanka’s grip on the contest.
