SL vs IRE T20 World Cup 2026 Live Cricket Score: Sri Lanka defeat Ireland by 20 runs
Sri Lanka host Ireland in their opening game of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo. The Paul Stirling-led side won the toss and elected to field first. The hosts, in the meantime, have announced a strong playing XI and will be confident of their chances in the match.
Sri Lanka host Ireland in their opening game at the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Paul Stirling-led side arrive to the competition following a 2-0 series win over United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were scheduled to play a warm-up game against Pakistan, but the match was called off due to rain. With little to no game practice on Sri Lankan soil, the match could prove to be difficult for the Irish side, given that the subcontinent conditions are very different from what they are used to. The batters will be extremely key for the side as they would hope to cause an upset tonight, something they are familiar with on the biggest stage of the game.
Sri Lanka, playing at home, should be confident of their chances. They have several marquee cricketers in the ranks, including Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Matheesha Pathirana and Wanindu Hasaranga. If the conditions favour the spinners, which usually do on Sri Lankan conditions, they should get the job done rather comfortably. However, in cricket, there’s always never say never.
SL vs IRE squads:
Ireland Squad: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Tim Tector, Joshua Little, Benjamin White, Craig Young
Sri Lanka Squad: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Pramod Madushan, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga