Spin twins Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga picked three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka defeated Ireland by 20 runs in a Group B clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Batting first, Sri Lanka were struggling at 87\/4 before Kamindu Mendis’s blazing 44 off just 19 balls, and Kusal Mendis’s unbeaten 56 off 43 lifted them to an above-par 163\/6. Chasing 164, Ireland looked well placed at 105\/2, with Harry Tector set for the final assault alongside a struggling Lorcan Tucker.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But both fell in quick succession, and the chase unravelled from there, as Ireland were eventually bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs. Theekshana returned with 3-23 in his four overs while Hasaranga, battling discomfort in his hamstring, produced a trademark spell of 3-25. It was far from a convincing win, but Sri Lanka pocketed two crucial points, tightening their grip on Group B.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chasing 164, skipper Paul Stirling survived an early chance but was castled by Theekshana for six in the fourth over. Ross Adair counterattacked by striking boundaries off Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera to make 34 off 23 balls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But Hasaranga, despite struggling with hamstring discomfort, dismissed him with a googly in the eighth over. Tector and Tucker then steadied the chase through a 49-run stand off 38 balls to steady Ireland’s chase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But the dismissal of Tucker for 21 by Wellalage and Tector for 40 by Hasaranga in successive overs turned the game. Ireland’s middle order collapsed under pressure, with Benjamin Calitz and Gareth Delany falling cheaply to Theekshana, while Curtis Campher was sent back cheaply by Hasaranga. Chameera and Pathirana returned to clean up the tail, as Ireland were dismissed for 143 in 19.5 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But Hasaranga, despite struggling with hamstring discomfort, dismissed him with a googly in the eighth over. Tector and Tucker then steadied the chase through a 49-run stand off 38 balls to steady Ireland’s chase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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 in 19.5 overs (Harry Tector 40, Ross Adair 34; Maheesh Theekshana 3-23, Wanindu Hasaranga 3-25) by 20 runs<\/p>\r\n\r\n