Sri Lanka vs Ireland Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 20 runs

Maheesh Theekshana to Paul Stirling, DROPPED? STUMPING MISSED? The first. The carrom ball, outside off, fractionally short, Paul Stirling tries to guide it towards short third but gets a healthy outside edge. The keeper, Kusal Mendis, tries sticking out his right glove but the ball does not stick in the webbing. He tries to take it in the second attempt but the ball drops down.

Maheesh Theekshana to Ross Adair, A touch short, around middle, zips through. Ross Adair goes back to pull but mistimes it towards long on for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Ross Adair, Outside off, punched towards cover.

Maheesh Theekshana to Paul Stirling, Massive LBW appeal first up. Turned down. Full, around off, Paul Stirling gets a long way across to sweep but misses and is hit on the pads. The batters take the single off the deflection while the keeper, bowler and skipper have a chat. Eventually, they decide not to take the review due to the impact. Leg bye signalled.

Quiet start. It was an excellent opening over from Chameera. Maheesh Theekshana will share the new ball from the other end.

Dushmantha Chameera to Ross Adair, FOUR! A hack but Ireland won't care. Pace off, on a length, around off, Adair swings hard and gets it off the inner half of the bat. But it goes past short mid-wicket and races to the fence behind. Pinpoint start by Chameera.

Dushmantha Chameera to Ross Adair, On a length, around off, skids through, 139.3 kph, Ross Adair is surprised and late in bringing his bat down. Gets a thick inside edge onto his pads.

Dushmantha Chameera to Paul Stirling, Ireland are underway. Full and a bit leg sidish, the skipper chips it uppishly towards deep square leg for a single to get off the mark.

Dushmantha Chameera to Paul Stirling, Lovely ball. Paul jumps put of his crease and Chameera smartly takes the pace off. Lands it on a length, outside off and the batter slashes hard. Misses and luckily for him, the ball just shaves the off stump!

Dushmantha Chameera to Paul Stirling, Slightly back of a length, outside off, Stirling has a massive hack and gets it from the back of his bat, towards point.

Dushmantha Chameera to Paul Stirling, Straightaway on target. On a length, around middle and off, Paul Stirling defends.

We are back for the run chase! The umpires are back out in the middle and so are the players of Sri Lanka, who spread out on the field. It will be the pairing of Ross Adair and skipper Paul Stirling to open the innings for Ireland. Dushmantha Chameera has the new ball in hand and he is ready to steam in. Stirling will be on strike, just one slip in place. Let's go...

... The Run Chase ...

Runs on the board for the win? Looking at the scoreboard, 164 seems to a relatively easy chase for Ireland but sometimes numbers lie. We saw how the Irish spinners had a stranglehold on the hosts in the middle phase. Sri Lanka will be looking to do the same and pick up their first win in front of a buoyant home crowd. Can Ireland silence the home crowd? Only time will tell. The run chase is up next.

Getting out of jail - Sri Lanka will thank their lucky stars a bit as that wasn't what they would have wanted with the bat. The top order crumbled after a relatively fast start and Kusal Mendis was left stranded at one end. He tried to up the ante but it just wasn't happening for him in the middle phase. Kamindu Mendis then came out to bat with the score being 86/4 in 13.5 overs. After a patchy start, he decided to open the floodgates in the 17th over. Kusal and Kamindu both kept going for it and got away with a few missed catches but the latter did fall for a quickfire 44 off just 19 balls as Kusal ended up scoring a fighting and unbeaten 56 off 43 balls.

Letting the Lankans off the hook - After what was a very even-stevens Powerplay, the Irish bowlers did brilliantly to squeeze things in the middle phase. For almost 10 overs, they didn't even concede a boundary as George Dockrell (4-0-17-2) bowled a stellar spell that got Ireland out in front. The last 4 overs though, were a different story altogether as the boundaries kept flowing, the catches kept going down, and the extras started to build up. They did get a couple of wickets at the death but Kamindu Mendis had already done the damage by then.

Blockbuster entertainment - Now that was an innings that had everything in it - some great and disciplined bowling from Ireland, a bit of sluggish cricket from both sides, and then that fiery finish from Sri Lanka with the bat. At the end of the first 20 overs, the hosts might feel they have the edge in this one, especially with their spin attack. However, Ireland will believe they are very much in it as the score on the board is a middling one.

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, Another slower ball. Banged into the surface, outside off, Mendis goes for the pull but is done in by the extra bounce. Gets a massive top edge that goes towards long on. The fielder comes charging in but the ball lands well in front of him. The batters return for the second and SRI LANKA FINISH ON 163/6!

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, WIDE. We are still not done yet. Slower ball, into the surface, outside off, Kusal Mendis waits for the ball to arrive and then leaps to play the upper cut. Misses. Signalled a wide as that went a mile over his head.

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, A slower ball now, short in length, around middle, KM goes for the pull but mistimes it towards short fine leg. Goes for the single but Hasaranga turns it down.

Mark Adair to Wanindu Hasaranga, Outside off, Wanindu Hasaranga goes for the pull but mistimes it past the bowler through mid off, for a run.

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, DROPPED! Another one goes down. Full, outside off, Kusal hammers this straight back. The bowler is in his followthrough, going to his left, but cannot hang on. The ball deflects behind to mid off and the batters take a single.

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, Landed outside off, Mendis gets across, then tries to go back and play the scoop, but misses.

Final over. 170? 175?

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Dropped short, around middle, Kusal Mendis arches back and drags the ball through square leg, finding the fence. HALF CENTURY UP, IN 39 BALLS. 

Barry McCarthy to Wanindu Hasaranga, Slower ball, on a length, outside off, Wanindu Hasaranga slashes but misses. End of a longgggg over - 11 balls, 19 runs, and 2 wickets!

Barry McCarthy to Wanindu Hasaranga, WIDE. Fourth of the over! Slower ball goes awry, well outside off, left alone.

Hat-trick ball time. Wanindu Hasaranga walks in to face it, at number 8, replacing his skipper, Dasun Shanaka.

A wicket! But is the ball legal? The third umpire has been called into action to check whether this was above the waist height or not.

Barry McCarthy to Dasun Shanaka, OUT! CAUGHT! The ball has been deemed legal and the Lankan skipper comes and goes for a golden duck. And yet another bowler is a on a hat-trick in this World Cup! And this has come out of nowhere. A high full toss, around middle, Dasun Shanaka looks to go big, aiming to swing it to the leg side but only gets a massive top edge. The ball goes high in the air, but only as far as short third. Mark Adair takes the catch but nearly makes a meal of it, taking it very low above the surface. Ireland start to celebrate but Shanaka looks at the umpires to question the height of the ball. The umpires refer it upstairs but technology projects the ball to be dipping onto the batter, meaning a fair ball.

The Lankan dugout will be breathing a lot easier now. 8 balls left and they can target 170, even 175 from here. Skipper Dasun Shanaka walks in next, at number 7, replacing Kamindu Mendis for a fiery finish.

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, OUT! CAUGHT! Stop the press. Ireland have finally taken a catch after a series of drops. A low full toss, around middle and leg, Kamindu is caught in his shuffle and mistimes his chip towards mid off. George Dockrell gets across to his left and smiles after taking the catch. The only good thing for Ireland in this over. Kamindu departs for a brisk 44 (19) and the quickfire 67-run stand has been broken. SRI LANKA ARE 153/5 AFTER 18.4 OVERS!

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, Outside off, on a length, Kamindu Mendis chips this over George Dockrell running back from cover to his right. The ball lands safely and the batters return for the second.

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, WIDE. A bouncer, around middle, Kamindu goes for the hook but misses. He looks at the square leg umpire and it is wided for height.

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, 150 UP FOR SRI LANKA! And we still have 9 balls left. Fuller, around middle, Kamindu Mendis chips this over the bowler down to long on and hares back for the second.

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, SIX! PUMMELED! So technically, Barry McCarthy has gone for 13 runs on one ball in this over. Pace off, short in length, outside off, Kamindu Mendis rocks back and heaves the pull over mid-wicket! Moves to 40 (16)!

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, ANOTHER WIDE! The bowler is not happy. Kamindu backs away to the leg side and then walks across his stumps. McCarthy fires it down the leg side and the batter misses his scoop. It is wided but the bowler has a case there.

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, WIDE. The Free Hit continues. Down the leg side, fuller in length, Kamindu looks to sweep but misses.

Barry McCarthy to Kamindu Mendis, NO BALL, FOUR AND 50-RUN STAND IS UP! If you are an Irish fan, please hope that dew has set in. Otherwise, this has gone above the ceiling now. McCarthy comes from around the wicket and tries to bowl around leg stump. But he loses control and he loses it so badly that it goes around the head of the batter, who does well to attempt the pull. Connects it off the top edge and it flies past the keeper, to his right and into the fine leg fence!

Barry McCarthy will bowl the 19th over. 2-0-21-0 so far.

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Spoils a good over. Landed outside off, Kusal Mendis reaches out and carves it wide of short third for a boundary to his right! 10 from the over, 31 in the last 2!

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, Short, outside off, KM pulls it wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple.

Mark Adair to Kamindu Mendis, Landed around off, Kamindu swivels for the pull but gets a bottom edge which goes past the stumps towards fine leg. A run taken.

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, DROPPED! Oh dear, the ball has been creamed with butter, one feels. A lovely leg cutter, into the surface, back of a length, around middle, Kusal goes for the pull but is done in by the extra bounce. Gets a top edge which goes only as far as deep square leg. The fielder comes charging in and it is Ross Adair, who is the brother of the bowler! Takes the catch, but while diving, his elbows hit the ground and the ball pops out. A run taken.

Mark Adair to Kamindu Mendis, A full toss, outside off, probably going for the wide yorker. Kamindu Mendis reaches out and slices it towards deep cover for a run.

Mark Adair to Kusal Mendis, A cross-seam delivery to start. Short and wide outside off, Kusal Mendis reaches out and slaps it over cover for a single. The stand moves to 40 (20).

Finally the jet lag has been worked over. The 17th over was the biggest by a margin for Sri Lanka and the fans would hope that the launch has started. All of a sudden, 160 is a certain possibility. Pace is back on at last, after the 6th over! Mark Adair returns. 2-0-14-1 so far.

Matthew Humphreys to Kamindu Mendis, FOUR! Another boundary to end the 17th over, Sri Lanka get 21 runs off it. Floated up, fuller and angled across off. Kamindu Mendis sits down, reaches out and smacks it down the ground. No chance for the long on fielder running to his right.

Matthew Humphreys to Kamindu Mendis, FOUR! The momentum is shifting and rather quickly too. Dragged down from Humphreys and on middle and leg, Kamindu Mendis goes deep in the crease and shovels it to the right of deep backward square leg for a boundary.

Matthew Humphreys to Kamindu Mendis, DROPPED AND SIX! It's all happening out there in the middle. Tossed up, full and on middle, Kamindu Mendis clears the front leg and lofts it back over the bowler's head. George Dockrell runs to his left from long off and just lets it through his hands. The ball lands over the ropes and Kamindu gets six runs.