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

Gareth Delany to Pavan Rathnayake, Full, around middle, Pavan drives it back to the bowler.

Gareth Delany to Pavan Rathnayake, On middle and leg, flicked straight to short mid-wicket.

Gareth Delany to Pavan Rathnayake, Another misfield. Ireland have been very ordinary in the field so far. Very full, outside off, Rathnayake eases the square drive through point. Sweeper gets across to his left but while picking up the ball, looks up early and lets the ball slip. Single was taken initially, but now gets doubled.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Fuller, around middle, 86.4 kph, Kusal Mendis watchfully pushes it towards long on with a lunge, for a run.

Gareth Delany to Pavan Rathnayake, Tossed up, around leg stump, 89.5 kph, Pavan Rathnayake comes down the track, takes the ball on the full and pushes it towards long on for a single.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Full and around middle, 90.4 kph, Mendis defends. A wicket and just 2 runs from the over. George Dockrell's bowling figures read 2-0-6-1 so far.

George Dockrell to Pavan Rathnayake, Similar ball to the previous one, this time Pavan comes forward and drives it towards long on for a run to get off the mark.

George Dockrell to Pavan Rathnayake, Down the leg side, Rathnayake looks to flick it away but misses and is hit on the pads. The keeper appeals for LBW, more out of habit. That was hitting the 6th stump down the leg side.

George Dockrell to Pavan Rathnayake, Tossed up, outside off, Pavan Rathnayake comes forward and then goes back, to dab it towards backward point.

Despair for Nissanka. That was there for the taking. Pavan Rathnayake walks in next at number 4, replacing Pathum Nissanka.

George Dockrell to Pathum Nissanka, OUT! CAUGHT! Dockrell breaks the budding 34-run stand. Not by the best of deliveries though. Short and wide outside off, begging to be hit. Pathum Nissanka rocks back and slaps it away. But unfortunately for him, it goes straight into the bread basket of Paul Stirling at cover! Nissanka hangs his head back in disappointment. Just a metre here and there and it would have been a boundary. Instead, he has to walk back after getting a start, making 24 (23). Sri Lanka are 62/2 after 8.2 overs.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Short and outside off, spinning away, 89.4 kph, Kusal Mendis rocks back and punches it through the covers for a single.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Very full, on middle, KM works it through square leg for one more. Not a single dot ball in that over.

Gareth Delany to Pathum Nissanka, Short, around middle, Nissanka gets down on a knee and pulls it to deep square leg for another single.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, Looped up slightly, around middle, Kusal goes back and nudges it through mid-wicket for one.

Gareth Delany to Pathum Nissanka, Around off, Pathum Nissanka drives it straight back. The bowler tries to get down to his right and effect the run out but only manages to deflect it towards the umpire behind. The batters take a run. The stand moves to 30 (21).

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, This time the ball lands. Mendis employs another sweep, this time all around the ground, towards deep square leg, for a single.

Gareth Delany to Kusal Mendis, A full toss to start. Kusal Mendis is straightaway down to sweep but is a bit early and gets this off the top edge. The ball flies towards deep backward square leg but there is no one there. By the time deep square leg can get across, two runs are taken.

Double bowling change? Indeed. Another leg spinner. Time to have a look at leggie Gareth Delany.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Back to normalcy. Short and wide outside off, Kusal reaches out and punches it through point for another single. Just felt like that ball turned away a touch.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Finally something fuller. Around middle and off, Mendis lunges to defend.

George Dockrell to Pathum Nissanka, Outside off, punched through the covers for one.

George Dockrell to Kusal Mendis, Another short ball, around off, 91.6 kph, Kusal Mendis goes back and punches it through the covers for a run.

George Dockrell to Pathum Nissanka, Another long hop, around off, Nissanka rocks back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

George Dockrell to Pathum Nissanka, Short, outside off, Pathum Nissanka cuts it towards short third.

DRINKS BREAK. That final over tilts the phase in Sri Lanka's favour. They seemed to be struggling initially but then Ireland lost control over their lines and lengths, spraying the ball around. As many as 6 fours and a six have been conceded, but most of them have been because of poor lengths. George Dockrell has been given the ball now. That is another rarity. He has not preferred to bowl much in the last two years.

Barry McCarthy to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Third boundary of the over! This is not all that bad a ball but just a pure good cricketing shot. Fractionally short of a length outside off, that's all. But Mendis arches back and punches it in the gap between cover and point. What a final over of the Powerplay - 0 4 0 4 0 4! Sri Lanka end the Powerplay with their score on 50/1.

Barry McCarthy to Kusal Mendis, Good riposte from the bowler. Banged in short, outside off, Mendis looks to rise with the bounce and play the upper cut but misses.

Barry McCarthy to Kusal Mendis, MISFIELD, FOUR! Too short again, outside off, coming in, Kusal Mendis pulls it to the right of mid on. The fielder gets across to his right but then puts in a lumbered dive and the ball goes through.

Barry McCarthy to Kusal Mendis, Hard length around middle, Mendis sets up to pull but the ball isn't quite short. This is eventually jammed down to mid on.

Barry McCarthy to Kusal Mendis, FOUR! Oh, such great control from Kusal Mendis. Just marginally short on middle and leg, Mendis waits back and uses the wrists to half pull the ball. The ball goes quickly and well to the left of deep backward square leg for a boundary.

Barry McCarthy to Kusal Mendis, Good-length delivery, slanting back in from well outside off. Mendis punches it down into the off side.

Final over of the Powerplay. It has been an okayish one for Ireland so far. Can they snap another wicket? Barry McCarthy returns with a change of ends. 1-0-9-0 so far.

Matthew Humphreys to Pathum Nissanka, Full and down the leg side, Mendis looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads. 10 runs from the over.

Matthew Humphreys to Kusal Mendis, Another missile, dropped short around off, 96.2 kph, Kusal Mendis rocks back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Matthew Humphreys to Pathum Nissanka, Fired through outside off, on a length, Pathum Nissanka pushes it through the covers for a single.

Matthew Humphreys to Pathum Nissanka, SIX! First one of the night! On the shorter side again from Matthew Humphreys, Nissanka has enough time to press back and he gets low before shovelling it over deep square leg for a biggie.

Matthew Humphreys to Kusal Mendis, Slightly slower and shorter on off and middle, Mendis waits back and taps it through mid on for one more.

Matthew Humphreys to Pathum Nissanka, Bowled into the pitch and around off, Nissanka rocks back, swivels on it nicely and pulls it down along the turf to deep mid-wicket for a single.

If it is written in the stars, it does happen. Ireland got two chances to get the opening wicket, muffed both but eventually, managed to cling onto the third. Kusal Mendis walks in next, at number 3, replacing Kamil Mishara. Matthew Humphreys is back on. 1-0-5-0 so far.

Mark Adair to Kamil Mishara, OUT! CAUGHT! Dropped once on ball 6, dropped second time on ball 9 and eventually taken on ball number 11! That has been the timeline for Kamil Mishara. Slower ball does the trick. Adair rolls his fingers over the ball and lands it on a length, around off, angling it away. Mishara is looking to punch it through the off side but is early into his stroke. The ball lands and then stops on the pitch a touch. Goes off the top edge straight up in the air towards mid off, where Barry McCarthy gobbles up an easy chance. However, after taking the catch, McCarthy signals towards the floodlights, indicating that the lights came into his eyes. Hayden on air informs us that the floodlights here in Colombo are at a slightly lower level than other venues. Mishara departs for 14 (11) and Sri Lanka are 28/1 after 4 overs!

Mark Adair to Kamil Mishara, Slower ball, 105.6 kph, on a length, down the leg side, Kamil Mishara looks to nudge it to the leg side but misses and is hit on the thigh pad.

Mark Adair to Pathum Nissanka, Short and around off, angling in, Pathum Nissanka picks the length in a trice and pulls it powerfully and uppishly. There is not much elevation and he nearly hits it straight to the fielder in the deep. There is a deep mid-wicket stationed and the ball lands just short of him. A single taken.

Mark Adair to Pathum Nissanka, The in-between length again from Adair, just outside off stump. Nissanka plays away from the body and taps it cover-point. Three dots to start the over.

Mark Adair to Pathum Nissanka, Oh, that jagged back in sharply. On a hard length, pitches on off and darts back into the right-hander. Nissanka gets taken by surprise but manages to jam it out.

Mark Adair to Pathum Nissanka, Back of a length and around off, sits up for the batter. Nissanka hops onto the back foot and slaps it away but straight to the cover fielder.

Barry McCarthy to Pathum Nissanka, On a length, around off, angling in, Nissanka tucks it through mid-wicket for a run.

Barry McCarthy to Pathum Nissanka, Dropped short, outside off, Pathum Nissanka pulls it through square leg for a couple.

Barry McCarthy to Kamil Mishara, DROPPED! Another life for Kamil Mishara. In the span of 4 balls! On a length, around middle and leg, Mishara flicks it through mid-wicket, uppishly. Short mid-wicket gets across to his left and it seems like he puts in the dive as an afterthought. As a result, the ball comes onto him much quicker than his anticipation, hits his left wrist and bobbles away. A single taken.