Bristol, June 22 (IANS) Sri Lanka will be fighting to keep their slim semifinal hopes alive when they take on Ireland in a crucial Group B clash of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Bristol County Ground on Tuesday.

Chamari Athapaththu’s team have found the tournament tough. After an enormous defeat against England in their opening game Sri Lanka produced an inspirational triumph over New Zealand.

But it has been a case of ‘win, lose, lose’ in the ensuing weeks, with the five-wicket collapse against West Indies proving to be a costly defeat as Sri Lanka lie bottom of the group with two points, with a negative run rate of -1.913.

Significant victories in both remaining encounters and favourable results in other games will have to be achieved if the islanders are to have any hope of qualifying for the semi-finals. Skipper Athapaththu will look for support from key batters like Nilakshi de Silva and pace-bowler Kavisha Dilhari if Sri Lanka are to make it into the last four of the ICC WW T20 tournament.

However, Ireland’s T20 World Cup bid is all but over after three successive defeats in the group stage, although they have put up a good show in two games and could easily have won against the likes of the much-fancied New Zealand before finally succumbing by four runs on Wednesday night. Captain Gaby Lewis has often led from the front and they know Orla Prendergast, a useful all-rounder, can deliver at any given time in any situation. With nothing to lose the women from across the Atlantic Ocean could be a potential banana skin for Sri Lanka to negotiate with and the hosts will really have to be alert to beat them.

When: Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 PM IST

Where: Bristol County Ground, Bristol

Where to watch: The Sri Lanka vs Ireland clash will be broadcast on Star Sports Network and live streaming on JioStar.

Squads:

Ireland: Gaby Lewis (c), Jane Maguire, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Aimee Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, and Alice Tector

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Imesha Dulani, Nilakshika Silva, Kaveesha Dilhari, Hansima Karunarathne, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Sugandika Dassanayaka, Nimasha Madushani, Kawya Kavindi, Malki Madara, Mithali Ayodhya, and Chethana Vimukthi.

–IANS

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