Ireland, who were winless at the 2024 edition, arrive with momentum from series victories over Italy and the UAE in Dubai. \u201cIt\u2019s slightly different from the last time we were here. It looks a little bit drier, but it looks like a good wicket. It\u2019s pretty hard and firm, so we\u2019ll see what we can do with the new ball here and see if we can chase down whatever they set.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI think we need to be at our best, and that\u2019s pretty much it. We\u2019ve had a good build-up, preparation has been excellent, so we\u2019re ready to get off and get things started here at the Premadasa. We\u2019ve got good all-round options in the middle, and we\u2019ve picked the extra batter tonight, so hopefully that\u2019ll come in handy towards the back end of the game,\u201d said captain Paul Stirling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sri Lanka, the 2014 edition winners, have not made the knockouts of the competition for a long time. They enter the mega event on the back of a 3-0 T20I home defeat to England. \u201cSeems like a very good track, so anything over 170 will be very good on this pitch. I think we\u2019ve got a lot of areas covered coming into the World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYes, we tested some players previously, in the England series and the previous tours. But we are settled here with five bowlers and five quality batsmen, so we are happy to proceed. Very much excited and very happy. You know, home World Cup, so everyone is excited,\u201d said captain Dasun Shanaka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The square boundaries are at 71 metres and 77 metres respectively, while the straight one is at 84 metres. Sri Lanka and Ireland met three times in T20Is, with the former winning on all three occasions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Playing XIs: <\/p>\r\n\r\n
The square boundaries are at 71 metres and 77 metres respectively, while the straight one is at 84 metres. Sri Lanka and Ireland met three times in T20Is, with the former winning on all three occasions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ireland: Paul Stirling (capt), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy. Matthew Humphreys<\/p>\r\n\r\n