Bristol, June 22 (IANS) A desperate Sri Lanka will look to keep their mathematical semifinal hopes alive when they square off against a winless Ireland in a crucial Group B fixture of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the Bristol County Ground on Tuesday.

For Sri Lanka, the tournament has been a roller-coaster ride. After being thoroughly outplayed by England in the tournament opener, the Chamari Athapaththu-led side bounced back spectacularly to upstage defending champions New Zealand in a tense chase.

But a comprehensive five-wicket defeat to the West Indies has left their knockout aspirations hanging by a slim thread. Currently sitting on two points from three matches with a dismal net run rate of -1.913, Sri Lanka not only needs to secure massive victories in their remaining fixtures against Ireland and Scotland but also rely on favorable external combinations to progress into the knockouts.

On the flip side, Ireland find themselves knocked out of the semifinal contention following three consecutive defeats. Making their fifth appearance in the global showpiece event, Ireland pushed defending champions New Zealand to the limit before falling agonizingly short by just four runs.

While individual sparks from Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast have kept Ireland competitive, Ireland’s recurring inability to seize crucial moments has proved to be their downfall. Nevertheless, the side will be fiercely determined to break their tournament jinx and script a historic maiden Women’s T20 World Cup victory.

Sri Lanka clearly hold the upper hand in terms of experience and firepower, primarily riding on the match-winning capabilities of players like skipper Chamari. However, if Ireland can exploit the inconsistencies in the Sri Lanka Lankan batting order, an upset cannot be completely ruled out.

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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