Top News

Sri Lanka will face Ireland in their opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, 8th February. Equipped with a strong batting lineup and solid bowling strength, the co-hosts will look to start the tournament on a positive note. 

 

Sri Lanka

 

Sri Lanka will be looking to build their tournament campaign with a good mindset. They were whitewashed in their last series against England, but will be keen to improve their performance and aim for the knockout spot in this edition. They have kept the squad pretty much similar to their last series against England. A lot will depend on how their batters perform and keep their score going, and their bowling strenth keep striking during the middle-overs. They might not have big numbers to show, but their determination will take them to the skies if they deliver up to the expectations under the leadership of Dasun Shanaka.

 

Ireland

 

Ireland has been performing impressively well in the last few months. They will be entering the tournament on the back of solid momentum, defeating Italy and the UAE in the last two T20Is and building a positive winning mindset ahead of the tournament. Paul Stirling-led side has a blend of players for this editions and they will be aiming to upset some of the big teams this year. In the last edition of the T20 World Cup, Ireland failed to win a single game, but will be keep to change the stats this time around.

 

SL vs IRE Match Details

 

SL vs IRE T20I WC Match Details
Match	Sri Lanka vs Ireland 6th T20I Match
Date and Time	Sunday, February 8; 7:00 p.m. IST
Venue	R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Broadcasting and live streaming	TV-Star Sports Network, Live Stream-JioHotstar

 

SL vs IRE T20 WC Pitch Report

 

The pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium has been a batting-friendly surface in the ongoing series. The matches are seeing a good competitive score, with the batters scoring runs comfortably and the bowlers scalping wickets in the middle overs. Pacers will get a good bounce during the early innings, but as the game progresses, the surface tends to flatten out and become more batting‑friendly. The average first innings total here is 170 runs.

 

SL vs IRE T20 WC Weather Report

 

The weather in Colombo is likely to be cloudy and slightly humid during the early hours of the match, with a 16% chance of rain predicted. The conditions are expected to be warm, likely as the typical Sri Lankan weather, with a humidity level of around 50-60%. The maximum temperature will be around 28-30 °C.

 

SL vs IRE Head-to-Head Records

 

SL vs IRE head-to-head (in T20s)
Match Played	3
Won by Sri Lanka	3
Won by Ireland	0
Tied	0
No Result	0

 

SL vs IRE Probable XI

 

• Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dushmantha Chameera.

 

• Ireland: Paul Striling (c), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Josh Little, Mathew Humphreys.

 

Players To Watch Out For in the SL vs IRE Match

 

• Kusal Mendis | SL: This wicket-keeper batter of the Sri Lanka team has been performing impressively lately. He was their standout batter against England in the last series. He is someone who can fuel the scoreboard with his aggressive hitting. He has played 100 T20I games for his team, scoring 2425 runs, including 17 half-centuries. He will be the player to watchout for. 

 

• Harry Tector | IRE: Harry Tector has been the best batter for the Ireland team in recent times. In 96 matches in his career so far, he has scored 1811 runs, including 8 half-centuries. He was their standout batter against Italy, scoring 150 runs in just three matches at an average of 150. He is someone who can contribute good runs after getting settled at the crease. He is one player to watch out for in this match.

 

SL vs IRE Toss Prediction

 

Historical Toss-Winning Stats at the Venue

 

• In the last 3 T20 matches played at this venue, the team winning the toss has opted to bowl first in one match, while batting in two matches.

 

Advantages of Bowling First on This Pitch

 

• In the total of 48 T20I matches played at this venue so far, the teams that batted first have won 19 matches, and bowling first have won 28 games.

 

SL vs IRE Today's Match Scenario

 

Scenario 1

 

• Toss Winner: SL (opts to bowl first)
• Power-Play Score: 35-40
• IRE Total: 120-140
• Match Winner: Sri Lanka

 

Scenario 2

 

• Toss Winner: IRE (opts to bowl first)
• Power-Play Score: 42-45
• SL Total: 160-180
• Match Winner: Sri Lanka

 

Who will win today's SL vs IRE T20 World Cup match?

 

Sri Lanka might not be at their best in this format lately, but they have beaten Ireland in all three matches they have faced so far. Ireland has been doing well in this format; they have two series victories before heading into this tournament. This game will be competitive enough for both teams but Sri Lanka is expected to pick a win here.