Manchester, June 26 (IANS) Top-order batter Harshitha Samarawickrama has said Sri Lanka still have belief they can qualify for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals ahead of their final Group B game against Scotland at Old Trafford.

While Sri Lanka currently sit in fourth place in Group B ahead of their fixture against Scotland in Manchester on Friday, there is still an outside chance the island nation can qualify for the knockout stages should results fall their way over the next few days.

Sri Lanka need to win on Friday and hope the West Indies and New Zealand falter against Ireland and England, respectively, the following day. They also require a net run-rate swing, a factor Samarawickrama says has been incorporated into their game plan.

Samarawickrama feels it has been a tournament of progress for the ICC’s seventh-ranked nation, following their winless campaign in 2024. Their final assignment is against Scotland, who have impressed in their second ICC Women’s T20 World Cup appearance, claiming their first win against Ireland and pushing the West Indies and New Zealand close.

“In the 2024 World Cup, we didn’t play good cricket. This year, we have played really good cricket. We won against New Zealand, which was a great achievement in Sri Lankan cricket. Scotland are one of the best upcoming teams, so it’s a great challenge for us.

“You can’t undermine any team in this World Cup, everybody’s playing good cricket. We are going to take it one step at a time, make sure we win first, and then think about the net run-rate, but we believe we can do it,” Samarawickrama was quoted by the ICC.

Sri Lanka be hoping for another big performance from their captain Chamari Athapaththu, after she fired an emphatic unbeaten century to steer her side past Ireland on Tuesday.

Athapaththu hit an unbeaten 106 from just 61 deliveries in a Player of the Match performance as Sri Lanka kept their semi-final hopes alive at the T20 World Cup. “She’s a legend, a living legend in Sri Lankan cricket. She plays really good cricket, and she’s a role model for us. She always shares her own knowledge and it’s a great honour to play with her,” Samarawickrama said of her skipper.

While Sri Lanka are gunning for qualification to the semi-finals, Scotland are hoping to sew up a place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028. With the top four sides in each group securing a spot, a win would take them side above Sri Lanka and into fourth spot.

Scottish all-rounder Priyanaz Chatterji said, “We are going into the game to try and win it; we probably haven’t played a complete game of cricket. There have been periods across games where we have been very good, whether that be with the bat, with the ball or in the field. But we still feel like we have got more to give.

“The implications of the win mean we would qualify for the next World Cup without having to go through the qualification process, so there is a lot at stake in that game.”

Chatterji won her 150th Scotland cap against England at Headingley, with the huge crowd a far cry from her debut in 2008.

–IANS

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