Sri Lanka broke a longstanding jinx at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 8, with their win against Ireland, to become the first side in five years of the stadium conducting T20Is, to successfully defend a total.
Tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka produced a clinical, all-round performance to start their campaign in the T20 World Cup with a 20-run win against Ireland.
Asked to bat first, Kamindu Mendis’ scintillating 19-ball 44 and Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten fifty lifted Sri Lanka to 163/6 after a slow start.
The RPS Stadium has historically seen teams chasing down targets with ease, and the last such occasion where a team couldn’t do so was in September 2021, when South Africa defended 164 against the hosts.
The RPS Stadium first conducted
a T20I in 2009, when the Lankans hosted India for a one-off game. Riding on skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 61, Sri Lanka posted 171, but Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan played crucial roles in taking India over the line.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup clash between Ireland and Sri Lanka, the last T20I at this venue was between the hosts and Bangladesh in July. The hosts could manage a paltry 132 batting first, with Mahedi Hasan picking four wickets and Bangladesh went past the target in the 17th over.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Sri Lanka were also helped by a few dropped catches by the Irish fielders in the floodlit R Premadasa Stadium.
In reply, Ireland were all out for a paltry 143 in the final over, marking the first time in 17 years that a team was unable to chase down a target.
Notably, in the Nidahas Trophy in 2018, Sri Lanka posted a whopping 215 batting first, riding on half-centuries from Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera. Bangladesh chased that target down in the final over, thanks to wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 72-run knock.
On Sunday, Ross Adair struck 34 off 23 deliveries, while Harry Tector made 40 off 34 balls.
Star pacer Maheesh Theekshana (3/23 in 4 overs) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/25 in 4 overs) were excellent with the ball, playing vital roles in the Sri Lankan win against Ireland.
