Sri Lanka begins World Cup with 20-run win over Ireland

Sports Desk
Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 20 runs in their first match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup thanks to brilliant bowling from Vanindu Hasaranga and Mahish Thikshana.
Chasing a modest total of 163, Hasaranga and Dunith Vellalag took quick wickets to bring Sri Lanka back into the match. After their shock defeat, Mahish Thikshana took two quick wickets to take the hosts close to winning their opening match.

Ireland did not get off to a bad start. After losing their openers for 56, Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker added 49 runs for the third wicket. Ross Adair gave a flying start to the chase, although Mahish Thikshana uprooted Irish captain Paul Stirling’s stumps in the fourth over.

Adair was joined by Harry Tector; the pair kept the run-chase going with some fine runs between the wickets. But Vanindu Hasaranga took his third wicket to seal the win for Sri Lanka. He ended his spell with figures of 3/25. The Sri Lankans started the tournament with a win, stopping Ireland in the final over.

Earlier, Sri Lanka got a solid foundation by scoring 50 runs in the powerplay after losing Kamil Mishra quickly in the opening over. After Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis added 34 runs together, George Dockrell took the crucial wicket of Nissanka (24 off 23 balls). Soon after, Dockrell struck again and dismissed Pawan Ratnayake, leaving Sri Lanka under pressure for 68 runs, losing 3 wickets.

The pace of the runs slowed down as the Irish bowlers held the Sri Lankan batters back and blocked the boundaries. Sri Lanka could only manage 95 for 4 after 15 overs. However, a crucial 67-run stand between Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis turned the match around. Kamindu played a cameo innings of 44 off just 19 balls to put the Sri Lankans in the driver’s seat. In the end, Sri Lanka got a challenging total of 163, riding on a fighting 56* off 43 balls from Kusal Mendis.