2026 ICC T20 World Cup hosts Sri Lanka will begin their campaign with a game against Ireland at the the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The home side are huge favourites to start their journey with a win and later progress through to the Super 8. Sri Lanka come into this game on the back of a disappointing series defeat to England and will be keen to bounce back to winning ways.
They have maintained a dominant head to head record over Ireland having won all of their last three encounters and will look to maintain their momentum. Meanwhile, Ireland will be poised to settle scores and upset Sri Lanka’s title hopes. They have never defeated the Lions till date, but can very well change the course of history come Sunday.
Sri Lanka vs Ireland Probable Playing 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 Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Josh Little, Matthew Humphreys
Toss Prediction
This pitch is going to favor the spinners big time. Dew is expected to dictate the result of this game which is why we expect Dasun Shanaka to win the toss and invite Ireland to bat first. Batting second will help Sri Lanka get the result in their favour.
Sri Lanka vs Ireland Toss history
H2H matches – 3
2009 – Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first
2021 – Ireland won the toss and elected to field
2022 – Ireland won the toss and chose to bat
Weather Forecast
The weather forecast during the match is predicted to be cloudy in the evening. Humidity is expected to be 62% while precipitation chances are 10%. The temperature is expected to be around 28°C when the match kicks off, but will eventually fall to 26°C as time passes by.
Pitch Report
The R. Premadasa Stadium traditionally favours the spinners very much. It might become difficult for the batsmen to execute their shots, but the Sri Lankan players should not have much difficulty since it is their home ground. Dew is expected to arrive in the second innings and therefore chasing will be a better option here.
Streaming Details
The T20 World Cup 2026 match between Sri Lanka and Ireland will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The match will start at 7pm IST on Sunday, February 8.
TV channel: Star Sports Network channels
Live stream: JioHotstar app and website
