News
Sri Lanka slotted in Group ‘B’ alongside Ireland, Scotland, Oman, the UAE
World Cup qualifiers
1996 champions Sri Lanka have been slotted in group ‘B’ for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier that will take place in Zimbabwe between 18 June and 9 July.
The ICC revealed the fixtures for the crucial three-week tournament on Tuesday, with Sri Lanka to face daunting opponents in Group B, with the island nation scheduled to play against Ireland, Scotland, Oman and the UAE.
Sri Lanka finished in 10th place on the Super League standings – one spot behind the West Indies – and will be looking for a top-two finish in Zimbabwe to ensure they maintain their excellent record of having participated in each edition of the World Cup.
Dasun Shanaka’s charges will need to be at their best if they are to book a spot at this year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with only the top-two sides from the 10-team tournament earning a ticket to the 50-over showcase in India at the end of the year.
On the other hand, the West Indies are drawn in Group A alongside tournament hosts Zimbabwe, European side the Netherlands, emerging Asian nation Nepal and the ever-improving USA.
The West Indies too have been to all 12 editions of the World Cup, while Zimbabwe are the next most successful side at the qualifier having participated in nine tournaments to date.
Nepal, USA and Oman have never made it through to the World Cup and will be looking to book their first appearance via a top-two finish at the qualifier.
Each team will play four matches during the group stage of the qualifier, with the top three sides from each group then progressing through to the Super Six stage.
All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.
Teams will then play a further three matches against sides from the opposing group during the Super Six stage, with the top two teams at the completion of the Super Six stage earning a place in the World Cup and the qualifier final in Harare on 9 July.
Qualifier Fixtures
Sunday, 18 June
Zimbabwe v Nepal, Harare Sports Club
West Indies v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club
Monday, 19 June
Sri Lanka v UAE, Queen’s Sports Club
Ireland v Oman, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Tuesday, 20 June
Zimbabwe v Netherlands, Harare Sports Club
Nepal v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club
Wednesday, 21 June
Ireland v Scotland, Queen’s Sports Club
Oman v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Thursday, 22 June
West Indies v Nepal, Harare Sports Club
Netherlands v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club
Friday, 23 June
Sri Lanka v Oman, Queen’s Sports Club
Scotland v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Saturday, 24 June
Zimbabwe v West Indies, Harare Sports Club
Netherlands v Nepal, Takashinga Cricket Club
Sunday, 25 June
Sri Lanka v Ireland, Queen’s Sports Club
Scotland v Oman, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Monday, 26 June
Zimbabwe v USA, Harare Sports Club
West Indies v Netherlands, Takashinga Cricket Club
Tuesday, 27 June
Sri Lanka v Scotland, Queen’s Sports Club
Ireland v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Thursday, 29 June
Super 6: A2 v B2, Queen’s Sports Club
Friday, 30 June
Super 6: A3 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: A5 v B4, Takashinga Cricket Club
Saturday, 1 July
Super 6: A1 v B3, Harare Sports Club
Sunday, 2 July
Super 6: A2 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: A4 v B5, Takashinga Cricket Club
Monday, 3 July
Super 6: A3 v B2, Harare Sports Club
Tuesday, 4 July
Super 6: A2 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: 7th v 8th Takashinga Cricket Club
Wednesday, 5 July
Super Six: A1 v B2, Harare Sports Club
Thursday, 6 July
Super Six: A3 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: 9th v 10th Takashinga Cricket Club
Friday, 07 July
Super Six: A1 v B1, Harare Sports Club
Sunday, 09 July
Final, Harare Sports Club
අයර්ලන්තය, ස්කොට්ලන්තය, ඕමානය, එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්යය සමඟින් ශ්රී ලංකාව ‘බී’ කාණ්ඩයට ඇතුළත් විය.
ලෝක කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරඟ
1996 ජූනි 18 සිට ජූලි 9 දක්වා සිම්බාබ්වේහිදී පැවැත්වෙන ICC පිරිමි ලෝක කුසලාන ක්රිකට් සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගය සඳහා 1996 ශූර ශ්රී ලංකාව ‘බී’ කාණ්ඩයට ඇතුළත් කර ඇත.
ICC විසින් අඟහරුවාදා තීරණාත්මක සති තුනක තරඟාවලියේ සවි කිරීම් හෙළිදරව් කරන ලද අතර, ශ්රී ලංකාව B කාණ්ඩයේ භයානක ප්රතිවාදීන්ට මුහුණ දීමට සිදු වන අතර, දිවයින ජාතිය අයර්ලන්තය, ස්කොට්ලන්තය, ඕමානය සහ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්යයට එරෙහිව තරඟ කිරීමට නියමිතය.
ශ්රී ලංකාව සුපර් ලීග් ශ්රේණිගත කිරීම්වල 10 වැනි ස්ථානයට පත්ව ඇත – බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව්වන්ට වඩා එක් ස්ථානයක් පිටුපසින් – ලෝක කුසලානයේ සෑම සංස්කරණයකටම සහභාගී වීමේ විශිෂ්ට වාර්තාවක් ඔවුන් පවත්වා ගැනීම සහතික කිරීම සඳහා සිම්බාබ්වේ හි පළමු-දෙකක් අපේක්ෂා කරනු ඇත.
මෙවර අයිසීසී පිරිමි ක්රිකට් ලෝක කුසලානයේ ස්ථානයක් වෙන්කර ගැනීමට නම් දසුන් ශානකගේ චෝදනා උපරිමයෙන් තිබිය යුතු අතර, කණ්ඩායම් 10කින් සමන්විත තරගාවලියේ ඉහළම කණ්ඩායම් දෙකට පමණක් ඉන්දියාවේ පැවැත්වෙන ඕවර 50 ප්රදර්ශන සඳහා ප්රවේශ පත්රයක් ලැබේ. වසර අවසානයේ.
අනෙක් අතට, බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව්වන් තරඟාවලියේ සත්කාරක සිම්බාබ්වේ, යුරෝපීය පැත්ත නෙදර්ලන්තය, නැගී එන ආසියාතික රාජ්යයක් වන නේපාලය සහ දිනෙන් දින දියුණු වෙමින් පවතින එක්සත් ජනපදය සමඟ A කාණ්ඩයට ඇද ඇත.
බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් කණ්ඩායමද ලෝක කුසලානයේ වාර 12ටම සහභාගී වී ඇති අතර සිම්බාබ්වේ මේ දක්වා තරඟාවලි 9කට සහභාගී වී ඇති සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරඟාවලියේ මීළඟ සාර්ථකම කණ්ඩායමයි.
නේපාලය, ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය සහ ඕමානය කිසි විටෙක ලෝක කුසලානයට පිවිසී නැති අතර සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගයේ පළමු ස්ථාන දෙක හරහා ඔවුන්ගේ පළමු පැමිණීම වෙන්කරවා ගැනීමට බලාපොරොත්තු වේ.
සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ වටයේ කාණ්ඩ අදියරේදී සෑම කණ්ඩායමක්ම තරග හතරක් ක්රීඩා කරනු ඇති අතර, සෑම කාණ්ඩයකින්ම ඉහළම කණ්ඩායම් තුන පසුව සුපර් සික්ස් අදියර දක්වා ඉදිරියට යයි.
එක් එක් කාණ්ඩයෙන් පහළම ස්ථාන දෙකට එරෙහිව ලබා ගන්නා ලකුණු හැර කාණ්ඩවල ජයග්රහණය කරන සියලුම ලකුණු සුපර් සික්ස් අදියර වෙත ගෙන යනු ලැබේ.
පසුව කණ්ඩායම් සුපර් සික්ස් අදියරේදී ප්රතිවාදී කණ්ඩායමේ පාර්ශ්වයන්ට එරෙහිව තවත් තරග තුනකට ක්රීඩා කරනු ඇති අතර, සුපර් සික්ස් අදියර අවසන් වන විට පළමු කණ්ඩායම් දෙක ලෝක කුසලානයට සහ සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ අවසන් තරගයට ජූලි 9 වැනිදා හරාරේ හි ස්ථානයක් ලබා ගනී.
සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ සවි කිරීම්
ජුනි 18 ඉරිදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ සහ නේපාලය, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් සහ ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය, තකාෂිංග ක්රිකට් සමාජය
ජුනි 19 සඳුදා
ශ්රී ලංකාව සහ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්යය අතර, ක්වීන්ස් ක්රීඩා සමාජය
අයර්ලන්තය සහ ඕමානය, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ජුනි 20 අඟහරුවාදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ සහ නෙදර්ලන්තය, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
නේපාලය සහ ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය, තකාෂිංග ක්රිකට් සමාජය
ජූනි 21 බදාදා
අයර්ලන්තය සහ ස්කොට්ලන්තය, ක්වීන්ස් ක්රීඩා සමාජය
Oman v UAE, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ජුනි 22 බ්රහස්පතින්දා
බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් සහ නේපාලය, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
Netherlands v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club
ජූනි 23 සිකුරාදා
ශ්රී ලංකාව සහ ඕමානය, ක්වීන්ස් ක්රීඩා සමාජය
Scotland v UAE, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ජුනි 24 සෙනසුරාදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ සහ බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව්, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
Netherlands v Nepal, Takashinga Cricket Club
ජුනි 25 ඉරිදා
ශ්රී ලංකාව සහ අයර්ලන්තය, ක්වීන්ස් ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ස්කොට්ලන්තය සහ ඕමානය, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ජුනි 26 සඳුදා
සිම්බාබ්වේ එදිරිව ඇමරිකා එක්සත් ජනපදය, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
බටහිර ඉන්දීය කොදෙව් සහ නෙදර්ලන්තය, තකාෂිංග ක්රිකට් සමාජය
ජුනි 27 අඟහරුවාදා
ශ්රී ලංකාව සහ ස්කොට්ලන්තය අතර, ක්වීන්ස් ක්රීඩා සමාජය
අයර්ලන්තය සහ එක්සත් අරාබි එමීර් රාජ්යය, බුලවායෝ මලල ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ජුනි 29 බ්රහස්පතින්දා
සුපිරි 6: A2 v B2, Queen’s Sports Club
ජූනි 30 සිකුරාදා
සුපිරි 6: A3 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
තරගය: A5 v B4, Takashinga Cricket Club
ජූලි 1 සෙනසුරාදා
සුපිරි 6: A1 v B3, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ජූලි 2 ඉරිදා
සුපිරි 6: A2 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
තරගය: A4 v B5, Takashinga Cricket Club
ජූලි 3 සඳුදා
සුපිරි 6: A3 v B2, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
අඟහරුවාදා, ජූලි 4
සුපිරි 6: A2 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
තරඟාවලිය: 7th v 8th Takashinga Cricket Club
බදාදා, ජූලි 5
සුපර් සික්ස්: A1 v B2, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
බ්රහස්පතින්දා, 6 ජූලි
Super Six: A3 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
තරගය: 9 වැනි සහ 10 වැනි තකාෂිංග ක්රිකට් සමාජය
ජූලි 07 සිකුරාදා
සුපර් සික්ස්: A1 v B1, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
ජූලි 09 ඉරිදා
අවසාන, හරාරේ ක්රීඩා සමාජය
அயர்லாந்து, ஸ்காட்லாந்து, ஓமன், ஐக்கிய அரபு எமிரேட்ஸ் ஆகிய நாடுகளுடன் இலங்கை அணி ‘பி’ பிரிவில் இடம்பிடித்துள்ளது.
உலகக் கோப்பை தகுதிப் போட்டிகள்
ஜூன் 18 முதல் ஜூலை 9 வரை ஜிம்பாப்வேயில் நடைபெறவுள்ள ஐசிசி ஆடவர் உலகக் கோப்பை தகுதிச் சுற்றில் 1996 சாம்பியன்களான இலங்கை அணி ‘பி’ பிரிவில் இடம்பிடித்துள்ளது.
ஐசிசி செவ்வாயன்று முக்கியமான மூன்று வார போட்டிகளுக்கான போட்டிகளை வெளிப்படுத்தியது, குழு B இல் இலங்கை கடினமான எதிரிகளை எதிர்கொள்ளும், தீவு நாடு அயர்லாந்து, ஸ்காட்லாந்து, ஓமன் மற்றும் ஐக்கிய அரபு எமிரேட்களுக்கு எதிராக விளையாட திட்டமிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.
சுப்பர் லீக் தரவரிசையில் இலங்கை 10வது இடத்தைப் பிடித்தது – மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகளுக்குப் பின் ஒரு இடம் – மேலும் உலகக் கோப்பையின் ஒவ்வொரு பதிப்பிலும் பங்கேற்று சிறந்த சாதனையைத் தக்கவைத்துக்கொள்வதை உறுதிசெய்ய ஜிம்பாப்வேயில் முதல் இரண்டு இடங்களைப் பிடிக்கும்.
இந்த ஆண்டு ஐசிசி ஆடவர் உலகக் கோப்பையில் இடம் பிடிக்க வேண்டுமானால், தசுன் ஷனக்கவின் குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் சிறந்ததாக இருக்க வேண்டும், 10 அணிகள் கொண்ட போட்டியில் முதல் இரண்டு அணிகள் மட்டுமே இந்தியாவில் 50 ஓவர் ஷோகேஸுக்கான டிக்கெட்டைப் பெறுகின்றன. ஆண்டின் இறுதியில்.
மறுபுறம், மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகள் குழு A இல் போட்டியை நடத்தும் ஜிம்பாப்வே, ஐரோப்பிய அணி நெதர்லாந்து, வளர்ந்து வரும் ஆசிய நாடான நேபாளம் மற்றும் எப்போதும் முன்னேறி வரும் அமெரிக்காவுடன் சமநிலையில் உள்ளன.
மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகளும் உலகக் கோப்பையின் அனைத்து 12 பதிப்புகளிலும் பங்கேற்றுள்ளன, அதே நேரத்தில் ஜிம்பாப்வே தகுதிச் சுற்றில் இன்று வரை ஒன்பது போட்டிகளில் பங்கேற்று வெற்றிகரமான அணியாக உள்ளது.
நேபாளம், அமெரிக்கா மற்றும் ஓமன் ஆகிய நாடுகள் உலகக் கோப்பைக்கு ஒருபோதும் முன்னேறவில்லை, மேலும் தகுதிச் சுற்றில் முதல் இரண்டு இடங்களைப் பெறுவதன் மூலம் தங்கள் முதல் தோற்றத்தை பதிவு செய்ய விரும்புகின்றன.
தகுதிச் சுற்றின் குழுநிலையின் போது ஒவ்வொரு அணியும் நான்கு போட்டிகளில் விளையாடும், ஒவ்வொரு குழுவிலிருந்தும் முதல் மூன்று அணிகள் சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் நிலைக்கு முன்னேறும்.
ஒவ்வொரு குழுவிலிருந்தும் கீழே உள்ள இரண்டு புள்ளிகளுக்கு எதிராகப் பெறப்பட்ட புள்ளிகளைத் தவிர, குழுக்களில் வெல்லும் அனைத்து புள்ளிகளும் சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் நிலைக்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்படும்.
சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் கட்டத்தின் போது அணிகள் எதிரணி குழுவில் உள்ள அணிகளுக்கு எதிராக மேலும் மூன்று போட்டிகளில் விளையாடும், சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ் கட்டத்தின் முடிவில் முதல் இரண்டு அணிகள் உலகக் கோப்பையிலும், ஜூலை 9ஆம் தேதி ஹராரேயில் நடக்கும் தகுதிச்சுற்று இறுதிப் போட்டியிலும் இடம் பெறும்.
தகுதி நிலைகள்
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ஜிம்பாப்வே v நேபாளம், ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
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திங்கள், 19 ஜூன்
இலங்கை மற்றும் ஐக்கிய அரபு எமிரேட்ஸ், குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
அயர்லாந்து v ஓமன், புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்
செவ்வாய், 20 ஜூன்
ஜிம்பாப்வே v நெதர்லாந்து, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
நேபாளம் v அமெரிக்கா, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
புதன், 21 ஜூன்
அயர்லாந்து v ஸ்காட்லாந்து, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
ஓமன் VUAE, புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்
வியாழன், 22 ஜூன்
வெஸ்ட் இண்டீஸ் v நேபாளம், ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
நெதர்லாந்து எதிராக அமெரிக்கா, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 23 ஜூன்
இலங்கை V Oman, Queens Sports Club
ஸ்காட்லாந்து v UAE, புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்
சனிக்கிழமை, 24 ஜூன்
ஜிம்பாப்வே வெஸ்ட் இண்டீஸ், ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
நெதர்லாந்து v நேபாளம், தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
ஞாயிறு, 25 ஜூன்
இலங்கை மற்றும் அயர்லாந்து, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
ஸ்காட்லாந்து எதிராக ஓமன், புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்
திங்கட்கிழமை, 26 ஜூன்
ஜிம்பாப்வே எதிராக அமெரிக்கா, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
வெஸ்ட் இண்டீஸ் v நெதர்லாந்து, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
செவ்வாய், 27 ஜூன்
இலங்கை மற்றும் ஸ்காட்லாந்து, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
அயர்லாந்து V UAE, புலவாயோ தடகள கிளப்
வியாழன், 29 ஜூன்
சூப்பர் 6: A2 v B2, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 30 ஜூன்
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பிளேஆஃப்: A5 v B4, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
சனிக்கிழமை, 1 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A1 v B3, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
ஞாயிறு, 2 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A2 v B1, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
பிளேஆஃப்: A4 v B5, தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
திங்கள், 3 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A3 v B2, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
செவ்வாய், 4 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் 6: A2 v B3, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
பிளேஆஃப்: 7வது எதிர் 8வது தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
புதன், 5 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ்: A1 v B2, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
வியாழன், 6 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ்: A3 v B3, குயின்ஸ் ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
பிளேஆஃப்: 9வது v 10வது தகாஷிங்கா கிரிக்கெட் கிளப்
வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, 07 ஜூலை
சூப்பர் சிக்ஸ்: A1 v B1, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை, 09 ஜூலை
இறுதி, ஹராரே ஸ்போர்ட்ஸ் கிளப்
Cricket
Wanindu Hasaranga Ruled Out of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Due to Hamstring Injury
Sri Lanka’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has suffered a massive setback, with star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a hamstring injury.
Medical scans conducted after Sri Lanka’s opening match against Ireland confirmed that the leg-spinning all-rounder will require several weeks of rehabilitation, effectively ending his participation in the global showpiece event.
Hasaranga, a central figure in Sri Lanka’s T20 plans over the past few years, sustained the injury during the early stages of the tournament. His absence leaves a significant void in both the bowling and lower-middle-order batting departments.
Widely regarded as one of the most dangerous T20 bowlers in world cricket, Hasaranga’s impact in ICC tournaments has been remarkable. With 40 wickets, he currently stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history — a statistic that underlines the scale of the blow to the co-hosts.
Beyond the numbers, Hasaranga’s ability to break partnerships in crucial moments and provide quick runs under pressure has made him indispensable to Sri Lanka’s balance in white-ball cricket.
Attention now turns to potential replacements. Leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha is expected to be named as Hasaranga’s replacement, pending official approval from Sri Lanka Cricket and the ICC Event Technical Committee. While Hemantha offers promise and attacking intent, stepping into the shoes of Sri Lanka’s premier match-winner will be a formidable challenge.
As of now, Sri Lanka Cricket is yet to issue a formal statement confirming the squad alteration.
With the tournament still in its early stages, Sri Lanka must now regroup quickly. The onus will fall on the remaining senior bowlers to shoulder added responsibility as the hosts attempt to keep their World Cup ambitions alive without one of their most influential players
Cricket
“I Just Wanted to Score a Few Boundaries” – Kamindu Mendis Stars as Sri Lanka Beat Ireland in T20 World Cup Opener
Sri Lanka’s decision to draft in Kamindu Mendis at the last moment proved inspired, as the all-rounder produced a match-turning knock to guide the hosts to a 20-run victory over Ireland in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Coming in with Sri Lanka in trouble at 86 for 4, Kamindu counter-attacked with a blistering 44 off just 19 deliveries, striking four boundaries and two sixes to swing momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour. His innings transformed a faltering batting effort into a competitive total of 163.
I just wanted to score a few boundaries and put a partnership with Kusal Mendis
Kusal was outstanding today. He deserves a lot of credit. We wanted someone to bat through the innings.
Kusal Mendis played the anchor role to perfection, remaining unbeaten on a composed half-century and ensuring Sri Lanka batted through their 20 overs — something that looked unlikely during the middle phase of the innings.
Sri Lanka’s bowling unit then delivered a disciplined performance, led by their spin trio of Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage, who shared seven wickets to derail Ireland’s chase. Hasaranga claimed three scalps, taking his overall T20 World Cup wicket tally to 40 — second only to Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (50).
There was a brief scare for Sri Lanka when Hasaranga limped off after his second over, sparking concern over his fitness. However, the skipper returned to complete his spell, easing fears ahead of the remaining group matches.
Ireland showed early promise, with George Dockrell returning impressive figures of 2 for 17 and a solid 49-run partnership between Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector keeping them in the contest. But once spin was introduced in tandem, the visitors struggled to maintain momentum.
From 105 for 2, Ireland lost wickets in quick succession and were eventually bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs, with Matheesha Pathirana picking up two wickets in the final over.
They got about 15 runs too many,” admitted Ireland captain Paul Stirling.
We were a bit sloppy in the field and we’ve got plenty of work to do before the next game. Spin is going to play a big role in this tournament, and that’s something we need to adapt to quickly.
Co-hosting the 20-team tournament alongside defending champions India, Sri Lanka could not have asked for a better start. The victory not only earned crucial points but also injected confidence into a campaign that carries high expectations on home soil
Cricket
Pakistan–India Match Uncertainty Could Cost Sri Lanka Up to US$30 Million at ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Sri Lanka is facing a potential financial setback of up to US$25–30 million amid growing uncertainty over the highly anticipated Pakistan vs India clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, according to reports from local media and industry sources.
The island nation, which is set to co-host the global tournament, had been preparing to stage the marquee encounter on 15 February 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. However, reports suggesting that Pakistan may boycott the fixture against India have raised serious concerns among Sri Lankan cricket officials and key stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The Pakistan–India contest is widely regarded as the single biggest commercial driver of any ICC tournament, attracting massive global television audiences, sold-out stadiums and premium sponsorship interest. Sri Lanka had positioned the fixture as a major economic catalyst, with expectations of a sharp spike in international arrivals and record revenues across multiple sectors.
While no official cancellation has been announced, uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s participation — reportedly linked to directives from the Pakistan government — has already begun to impact projected earnings. Tourism industry sources indicate that hotel bookings in Colombo and surrounding areas have slowed, with some early cancellations reported as fans and tour operators await clarity.
The potential fallout could be significant for Sri Lanka’s tourism-dependent economy, which increasingly relies on high-profile international sporting events to drive short-term visitor inflows and spending.
Commercial and Tourism Impact
Ticket sales for the India–Pakistan match were expected to be among the highest of the tournament, featuring premium pricing and early sell-outs typical of fixtures involving the two rivals. A boycott would likely result in major losses from ticket revenue, sponsorship activations, stadium advertising and broadcast-linked commercial agreements.
Beyond cricketing revenue, the ripple effect would be felt across airlines, travel agencies, restaurants, transport providers and small businesses operating around event venues. Informal sector workers — including vendors, drivers and temporary service staff — also stand to lose a crucial source of short-term income tied to matchday demand.
Sri Lanka Cricket Appeals to PCB
In an effort to prevent a damaging outcome, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva has formally written to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), urging it to reconsider reports that Pakistan may skip the February 15 fixture in Colombo.
In the letter, SLC stated that it had learned through media reports that while Pakistan is expected to participate in the tournament, a decision may have been taken to avoid the match against India. Sri Lanka Cricket emphasized that all commercial, logistical, security and operational arrangements for hosting the tournament have already been finalized.
SLC further highlighted that ticket sales for matches scheduled in Sri Lanka — particularly the India–Pakistan clash — had recorded exceptionally strong demand, underlining the scale of public interest and commercial expectations attached to the fixture.
Sri Lanka Cricket warned that Pakistan’s absence from such a high-profile match could have far-reaching economic consequences, including reduced tourism inflows, substantial revenue losses and broader impacts on businesses linked to the event.
With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 drawing closer, stakeholders across Sri Lanka are now anxiously awaiting clarity, hoping that diplomacy and dialogue can preserve cricket’s biggest rivalry — not only for the integrity of the tournament, but for the country’s economic interests as well.
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