Brutal Sri Lanka attack too much for Ireland in T20 opener

Lorcan Tucker of Ireland bats during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash with Sri Lanka at R. Premadasa Stadium Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

Ireland lost their opening game at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup by 20 runs, defeated by the tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka in front of a packed house.

After winning the toss at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Ireland had to wait until the fourth over to claim their first wicket. It was Mark Adair who made the breakthrough, deceiving Kamil Mishara with a clever slower ball that held up in the wicket and Barry McCarthy completed a simple catch.