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

Matthew Humphreys to Kusal Mendis, Oh, just out of reach! Attacking the stumps, Kusal Mendis shuffles to the off side and looks to lap it away but gets more of a top edge on it. The ball goes high and over short fine leg where the fielder is a bit late to react. He runs back over his shoulder and cannot lay a hand on a difficult chance. Does well to chase it down and save a run for his side. Three taken.

Matthew Humphreys to Kusal Mendis, Short and wide outside off, turning away, Kusal reaches out and slaps it over cover for a couple.

Matthew Humphreys to Kusal Mendis, DROPPED! A complete mishit and Curtis Campher has overrun it by a mile. A juicy full toss from Matthew Humphreys and around off. Kusal Mendis dances down the track and throws his hands at the slog. Ends up slicing it over mid off. Campher charges in from long off and he has George Dockrell in his eyeline a bit as well. In the end, Campher goes after it but gets nowhere near catching the ball. Dockrell mops things up and the batters get a couple of runs.

'Jet lag in your own country', chides Matthew Hayden on air, joking on Sri Lanka's inability to find boundaries with regularity.

Gareth Delany to Kamindu Mendis, Excellent fielding again - this time from Curtis Campher. Full, around off, Kamindu Mendis gets down and sweeps it over square leg. The ball lands into space and trickles towards the ropes but along comes Campher from deep mid-wicket, puts in a full-length dive to his left and pushes the ball back towards the fielder from mid-wicket who was running back. The third umpire is called into action and he is convinced that the safe is clean. Two runs saved. 4-0-24-1 for Gareth Delany.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Tossed up, around off, 87.1 kph, Kusal comes down the track and looks to go big. But he is not to the pitch of the ball and hits it of the toe end towards long off, for one.

Gareth Delany to Kamindu Mendis, Pretty full, outside off, 83.1 kph, Kamindu gets down and sweeps it powerfully through square leg for a run.

Gareth Delany to Kamindu Mendis, FOUR! Finally, the boundary curse is broken. Tossed up around off, Kamindu Mendis goes for the reverse sweep again and lifts it over backward point for four runs. A boundary after 56 balls and the 100 is now up for Sri Lanka.

Gareth Delany to Kamindu Mendis, Outside off, pretty full, Kamindu Mendis goes for the reverse sweep but misses.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Tossed up, outside off, Kusal Mendis goes to the leg side and tries to get a boundary through the inside-out shot. But can only hit it slightly wide of long off, to his left, for a single.

5 overs left. 10 an over takes the Lankans to 145. Bare minimum, one would say?

Matthew Humphreys to Kamindu Mendis, A valiant effort in the field and the search for that elusive boundary continues for Sri Lanka. Humphreys fires it in on a good length around off, Kamindu Mendis presses back and chips it over the bowler's head. However, Mark Adair from long off runs to his left and puts in a dive to save the boundary. It is checked for a clean stop and everything is clear. Two taken.

Matthew Humphreys to Kamindu Mendis, Short, outside off, with a bit of a round-arm action, lowering the trajectory, Kamindu Mendis pulls it to the left of long on for a couple.

Matthew Humphreys to Kusal Mendis, Tossed up, outside off, Kusal reaches out and carves it over cover for another single.

Matthew Humphreys to Kamindu Mendis, Landed outside off, Kamindu works it through mid on for one.

Matthew Humphreys to Kusal Mendis, Outside off, Kusal Mendis eases this through the covers for a run.

Matthew Humphreys to Kamindu Mendis, Excellent fielding. Matthew Humphreys returns to the attack and is immediately switched on. Darts this on the pads and Kamindu Mendis works it through mid-wicket. Sensing that the batters will go for the second, Humphreys himself charges towards the ball to his left and keeps the batters to a single.

Gareth Delany to Kamindu Mendis, Full, on middle, Kamindu Mendis comes down the track and drives it down the ground. There are a couple of runs on offer and Kamindu turns back for the second but Kusal sends him back. Poor running. A wicket and 3 runs from the over, Gareth Delany's bowling figures read 3-0-15-1.

DRINKS BREAK. Overs since the Powerplay - 7.5. Runs scored - 36. Wickets lost - 3. Boundaries hit - 0. The mire is getting deeper and deeper for the Lankans and though they have quality spinners of their own, they will need at least a 140 to post a defendable score. Ireland are smartly squeezing the Lankans through spin and in fact, the last over bowled by a pacer was as back as the 6th! Kamindu Mendis has come in next, at number 6, replacing Dunith Wellalage and needless to say, the Lankans need to crack the whip now.

Gareth Delany to Dunith Wellalage, OUT! CAUGHT! The pressure of not finding the fence was telling and Sri Lanka lose another wicket. Cleverly bowled by Gareth Delany as he gives it a bit more air and throws the ball wider of the off stump. Dunith Wellalage goes after it but has to reach for it and ends up skying it down to long on. George Dockrell settles under it well and pouches it safely. Wellalage departs for 10 (13) and SL are now 86/4.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Short, outside off, stays low a touch, Mendis goes back and pulls it through mid on for a run. Moves to 30 (27).

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Excellent review! Gareth Delany drifts a full ball into the pads. Mendis sits down to sweep but plays over the ball and gets struck on the pads. There is a prolonged appeal from the Irish players and the finger does go up. However, Kusal Mendis has reviewed it instantly. It seems like Mendis thinks there's a bit of glove involved but there's nothing on UltraEdge when the third umpire checks it. Ball Tracking is building up next and thankfully for Mendis, it shows that the ball would have missed leg stump. NOT OUT.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Landed outside off, 86.7 kph, Kusal Mendis goes back and dabs this away, but straight to short third.

Gareth Delany to Dunith Wellalage, Full, around off, Dunith Wellalage eases this through mid on for a single.

What a spell from Dockrell. 24 balls, 17 runs, 9 dot balls, 2 wickets, and not a single boundary! Gareth Delany returns. 2-0-12-0 so far.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, Full and around off, DW leans and clips it through mid-wicket for one. 4-0-17-2 for George Dockrell in this match.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, Dropped short, outside off, Dunith pulls it to the right of deep mid-wicket for a couple.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, WIDE. Way outside off, angling away, left alone.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Landed around middle, moving away, 88 kph, Mendis goes back and works it through mid-wicket. The batters take the single and Mendis turns blind for the second. However, Wellalage sends him back at the right time and Mendis dives back in, before the throw comes at the bowling end, with the stumps being dislodged.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, Short and outside off, Wellalage goes back and punches it through mid on for one.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Full and slightly wide outside off, Kusal Mendis reaches out and drives it through mid off for a run.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, Short, outside off, Dunith Wellalage cuts it behind point for a single.

The crowd is getting twitchy now. Cannot blame them. It is a Sunday evening and they have come here for entertainment. Additionally, the two games earlier today, in Chennai and Mumbai, were high-scoring thrillers. Of course, they will not mind if Sri Lanka win at the end of the day. Meanwhile, Wanindu Hasaranga is keenly watching from the Lankan dugout. Give me 140, he will be saying. That is enough on this surface.

Harry Tector to Kusal Mendis, Short, outside off, spinning in, Kusal gets across and pulls it with his eyes closed, getting the ball through square leg. Gets a couple for his efforts.

Harry Tector to Kusal Mendis, Short again, outside off, 94.7 kph, Mendis rocks back and punches it towards cover.

Harry Tector to Dunith Wellalage, Shorter, around off, 84.1 kph, Wellalage punches it through the covers for one.

Harry Tector to Dunith Wellalage, Fuller, around middle, Dunith Wellalage comes down the track and defends.

Harry Tector to Kusal Mendis, Oohhh... massive turn! Where did Muralidaran come from, all of a sudden? Landed outside off, short of full, Kusal Mendis rocks back to dab it towards short third but the ball spins back in a long way, cramping him for room. Still, he manages to connect and gets a run in that region.

Harry Tector to Dunith Wellalage, Fired down the leg side, Dunith Wellalage clips it towards short fine leg for a single.

Time for a change in pace? Umm... not quite. It is a change in bowling but another spinner. Harry Tector will bowl his offies now.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, On middle and off, pulled to deep mid-wicket for another single. A wicket and 3 singles from the over, George Dockrell's bowling figures read 3-0-9-2 so far.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Tossed up, around off, Kusal Mendis leans and drives it towards long off for a run.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, A touch short, around middle, Wellalage pulls it to deep square leg for a single to get off the mark.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, Down the leg side, Dunith Wellalage flicks it straight to short fine leg.

George Dockrell to Dunith Wellalage, Around off, worked to the leg side.

Sri Lanka's innings is going nowhere at the moment. Dunith Wellalage walks in next, at number 5, replacing Pavan Rathnayake.

George Dockrell to Pavan Rathnayake, OUT! BOWLED! Rathnayake trying to be cute, ends up looking ugly. One feels that he tried 2-3 shots on that one ball. He backed away for probably playing the inside-out shot. Seeing that, Dockrell kept it full and in line of the stumps. So the response from the batter was to try the scoop past the keeper. If he had connected, it would have been a beautiful shot. But unfortunately, he missed and the ball hit the stumps. Dockrell is pumped up with his second scalp in 6 balls while Rathnayake is down on the ground. He departs for 5 (9) and from 62/1, Sri Lanka are now 68/3!

Halfway mark reached. Sri Lanka are 68/2 but crucially, the post-Powerplay phase has yielded 1/18 in 4 overs so far. Remember, they were 50/1 at the end of the Powerplay.

Gareth Delany to Pavan Rathnayake, Floated wide outside off, 88.4 kph, PR reaches out and drives it towards sweeper cover for one.