Sri Lanka Women take on Ireland Women in the 20th Match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the County Ground, Bristol on Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 PM IST (2:30 PM local). Sri Lanka have 1 win and 2 losses (beat NZ by 5 wkts but lost to ENG by 87 runs and were bowled out for 98 vs West Indies).
Captain Chamari Athapaththu admitted “I think I’m a failure as a captain” after the WI loss. Ireland were ELIMINATED with 3 losses from 3 (lost to SCO by 40, ENG by 4 wkts, NZ by just 4 runs). This is a MUST-WIN for Sri Lanka to keep their semi-final hopes alive. Ireland are playing for pride. H2H: SL lead 4-1 in T20Is.
SL-W vs IRE-W Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Sri Lanka Women vs Ireland Women, 20th Match, Group 2 |
| Series | ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. SL: 1 win, 2 losses (MUST-WIN). IRE: 0 wins, 3 losses (ELIMINATED). H2H: SL lead 4-1. |
| Date | Tuesday, 23 June 2026 (Day) |
| Time | 7:00 PM IST / 2:30 PM BST local; toss 30 minutes earlier |
| Venue | County Ground, Bristol, England. Second match of the day here (after NZ vs SCO). |
| Format | 20 overs per side |
| Captains | Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Gaby Lewis (Ireland) |
| Form | SL: Lost to ENG by 87 runs (131 vs 218/2) + Beat NZ by 5 wkts (Nilakshika 54* MOTM) + Lost to WI by 5 wkts (98 all out). Athapaththu: only 33 runs in 3 innings. Nilakshika: 123 runs (best player). IRE: Lost to SCO by 40 runs + Lost to ENG by 4 wkts (118/9, Prendergast 26+2/17) + Lost to NZ by 4 runs. ELIMINATED. Prendergast: 2 wkts each vs ENG and NZ. |
Dream11 Team for SL-W vs IRE-W, 20th Match
Top Picks for SL-W vs IRE-W, 20th Match
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kavisha Dilhari | SL | Captain / AR | Captain pick. 2/35 vs NZ. Left-arm spin + batting. At 2x vs eliminated Ireland. Key SL AR. |
| Orla Prendergast | IRE | VC / AR | Vice-Captain pick. 2/17 vs ENG + 2 wkts vs NZ. Pace AR. 28 sixes in WT20Is (IRE record). At 1.5x. IRE’s best player. |
| Nilakshika de Silva | SL | All-Rounder | 123 runs in 3 innings (54* MOTM vs NZ). SL’s LEADING run-scorer this WC. Medium pace + batting. Must-pick. |
| Chamari Athapaththu | SL | All-Rounder | SL captain. Only 33 runs in 3 innings. DUE for a big knock. Left-arm spin + power-hitting. HIGH-RISK, HIGH-REWARD pick. |
| Amy Hunter | IRE | WK / Batter | 39 vs Scotland. IRE WK. Young batter. WK catching/stumping bonus. Consistent performer for Ireland. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | County Ground, Bristol, England. Second match of a double-header here today. |
| Pitch Type | Good BATTING surface with SHORT boundaries. Ball comes nicely onto the bat. True bounce. Seamers get some zip early. Spinners find grip as the match progresses. WI beat SL at this venue on June 21 (SL 98, WI 99/5). |
| Scoring | 155–165 par score. Short boundaries help power-hitters. SL were bowled out for 98 here vs WI. But that was an outlier. 140+ should be competitive in this match given both teams have struggled. |
| Pace vs Spin | PACE effective early (Prendergast for IRE; SL pace options). SPIN useful middle overs (Dilhari 2/35, Athapaththu for SL; Maguire for IRE). Bristol pitch offers something for both. |
| Toss Factor | Batting first preferred. WI batted first and won here vs SL. Setting a target takes pressure off. Both captains will want to bat first. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 17–21°C (63–70°F). Pleasant Bristol afternoon. |
| Sky | Partly cloudy. Some sunshine expected. |
| Rain Chance | Low. No significant rain expected. Full match likely. |
| Humidity | Moderate. Typical English summer conditions. |
| Overall | Good conditions for cricket. Afternoon match. Full 40-over contest expected. |
SL-W vs IRE-W 20th Match Toss Prediction
WI batted first and beat SL at Bristol on June 21. The surface has produced results for teams batting first. The toss winner will likely bat first and set a target.
If Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) wins, she bats first. SL need Athapaththu (only 33 runs in 3 innings) to FINALLY fire. Then Samarawickrama + Nilakshika (123 runs, best SL bat) + Dilhari build through the middle. Set 150+ on short Bristol boundaries. Then Dilhari (2/35) + Athapaththu left-arm spin + pace options defend against Ireland’s batting (which has failed in all 3 games).
If Gaby Lewis (Ireland) wins, she bats first. Deploy Lewis + Hunter (39 vs SCO) + Prendergast (26 vs ENG) to give Ireland a strong start. Then Little (26* vs ENG, hard-hitter) at the death. Set 130+. Then Prendergast (2/17 vs ENG, 2 wkts vs NZ) + Maguire (left-arm spin) + Kelly through the middle overs against SL’s fragile batting (98 all out vs WI).
Injury and Team News
Sri Lanka Women:
Sri Lanka are in TROUBLE. Bowled out for 98 vs West Indies at this very venue on June 21. Athapaththu has only 33 runs in 3 innings and said “I think I’m a failure as a captain.” Nilakshika de Silva is SL’s BEST player with 123 runs in 3 innings (54* MOTM vs NZ). Dilhari took 2/35 vs NZ and provides all-round value. SL’s semi-final hopes are slim but ALIVE. They need to win big against Ireland to boost NRR.
Ireland Women:
Ireland are ELIMINATED (0 wins from 3). Playing for pride. Lost to NZ by just 4 runs in their last match (narrow miss). Prendergast has been Ireland’s standout (2/17 vs ENG including bowling Capsey + 2 wkts vs NZ). Little scored 26* vs ENG as a hard-hitter at the death. Hunter scored 39 vs Scotland. Ireland have been competitive in every match but cannot close out games. Against a desperate SL side, Ireland have nothing to lose.
