T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka Survive the Irish Test

Uncertainty has long dictated the way Sri Lanka play their cricket, shaping both their highs and sudden collapses. On their best days, it allows them to move faster than the opposition can adjust; on others, it leaves them chasing the game before they realise it has slipped away.

On Sunday, under the gleaming lights of R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and against a sprightly Irish team, the same uncertainty came knocking. But Sri Lanka held their nerves for just long enough to secure a 20-run victory in their first T20 World Cup group stage match.

Sri Lanka’s innings was built around Kusal Mendis, who anchored the batting with a controlled half-century, while Kamindu Mendis provided late flourish that lifted their total to a competitive 163 for 6. Ireland’s bowlers kept things tight through the middle overs and their fielders had opportunities—including dropped chances—that might have tilted things earlier in the contest in their favour.

Ireland’s chase followed a similar pattern. Paul Stirling fell cheaply, but Ross Adair and Harry Tector put together a partnership that suggested Ireland could chase down the target with relative calm. Through the first 13–14 overs, the visitors ticked along calmly and put Sri Lanka under legitimate pressure before the wheels came off.

The turning point came with the Sri Lankan spin troika hitting back. Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage constricted scoring and seized critical wickets, dismantling Ireland’s middle order and dragging the scoring rate beyond comfort. Theekshana spun a telling web in the middle overs, while Hasaranga — visibly not at full fitness — bowled effectively “on one leg” at times but still struck with crucial dismissals that derailed the chase.

Adair’s 34 and Tector’s 40 were kept the hope alive for the paltry Irish supporters in the stands, but once Ireland slipped to 105 for 3 around the 14th over, Sri Lanka’s spinners exerted increasing control. With the required rate climbing and boundaries harder to find, Ireland ultimately finished 143 all out, giving Sri Lanka a 20-run victory to start their World Cup.

“It was important for us to stay calm when things were not going our way,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said after the match. “We knew one good spell could change the game.”

For Ireland, the defeat was a reminder of the fine margins at this level. They played good cricket for most of the contest but were unable to close it out once Sri Lanka’s spinners took charge. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, walked away with a win that reflected both their strengths and their uncertainty — a side capable of letting a match drift, and just as capable of pulling it back when it matters.