Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Hosts Sri Lanka will lock horns against Ireland in the 6th game of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The venue for this match will be the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and the match time is 7 PM IST.

Sri Lanka recently lost both the ODI and T20I series against England, that too at home. But they have a good-looking squad, and with familiar conditions, they are not to be taken lightly.

Kusal Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, and Matheesha Pathirana are the key players for Sri Lanka. Their batting seems too dependent on the top order with the bat, which can be concerning going ahead in the tournament, so it will be interesting to see how their middle order performs.

Hasaranga and Theekshana will be the two specialist spinners, with Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera being the key pacers. Sri Lanka will have to play as a team if they are to go far in the tournament. 

Ireland, meanwhile, is a team not to be taken lightly, and we’ve seen this over the years in ICC tournaments. Known as the ‘Giant Killers,’ the Irish side is capable of defeating any team in the tournament. They have good batting depth and quality pacers, plus a decent spin attack. 

Paul Stirling, Curtis Campher, Mark Adair, Joshua Little, Lorcan Tucker, and George Dockrell will be the important players for Ireland. They’ll be eager to start off the tournament with a win in this game

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 6th Match: SL vs IRE Probable Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: 1. Pathum Nissanka, 2. Kamil Mishara, 3. Kusal Mendis (wk), 4. Pavan Rathnayake, 5. Dasun Shanaka (c), 6. Charith Asalanka, 7. Janith Liyanage 8. Wanindu Hasaranga, 9. Dunith Wellalage/Maheesh Theekshana, 10. Matheesha Pathirana, 11. Pramod Madushan

Ireland: 1. Paul Stirling, 2. Ross Adair, 3. Harry Tector, 4. Lorcan Tucker, 5. Curtis Campher, 6. George Dockrell, 7. Gareth Delaney, 8. Mark Adair, 9. Joshua Little, 10. Craig Young/Barry McCarthy, 11. Matthew Humphreys

R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo Pitch Report and Weather

Batters need to settle down before playing their shots on a surface often conducive to spin. Spinners will get good assistance, while pacers who can hit the deck hard will succeed. Scores in the range of 150-160 are expected, and teams will opt to bowl if they win the toss.

In all men’s T20s at RPS since 2023, pace bowlers have performed well, taking 183 wickets at an average of 21.77 and economy of 8.27. Spinners have similar numbers, with 168 wickets at 22.06 and lower economy of 7.00.

The weather will be cloudy with a 10% chance of rain, and the temperature will be around 26-27 degrees Celsius at the start of the game.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for SL vs IRE T20 World Cup 2026 6th Match: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks:  

• Kusal Mendis is among the must-pick players in your fantasy teams. He likes to bat aggressively and take on the bowlers. He has 20+ scores in each of the last three T20Is but has failed to conver them into big scores. Mendis will be an ideal C/VC choice.
• Lorcan Tucker is a key batter for Ireland in the middle order. He is a good player of spin bowling and can handle the pacers too. Tucker can also fetch points from wicket-keeping. 

Key batter picks: 

• Pathum Nissanka is another key batter for the hosts. He recently scored a T20I century against India and has been in good touch. Nissanka likes to score big once he gets going. He will be a popular C/VC choice and a must-have in your fantasy teams.
• Paul Stirling is the most experienced player for his team and will look to lead from the front. He’s a very aggressive batter and can out the opposition under pressure if he stays on the crease for a while. Try him as C/VC in some of your teams.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Curtis Campher is another top C/VC choice. He will bowl 2-4 overs and will contribute with the bat. Campher is a must-have in your fantasy teams considering his all-round skills.
• Wanindu Hasaranga is a genuine wicket-taker who’s capable of going through the Irish batting on his own. Hasaranga is handy with the bat too. Since the start of 2023, he has taken 28 T20 wickets on this ground at an average of 12.32 and strike rate of 10.79.

Key bowler picks: 

• Matheesha Pathirana was bowling sharply in the series against England. He was bowling at a good pace, line, and length. Try him as C/VC, especially while bowling first. He took five wickets in the recent series against England in three innings at an economy of 7.37.
• Josh Little will be a key bowler for Ireland. He can bowl in any phase of the innings and can trouble Sri Lankan batters in this match.
• Mark Adair is another utility player from Ireland. He will bowl in the powerplay and then in the death overs. Adair is handy with the bat too. Overall, he’s a complete package and a very solid pick for your fantasy teams.
• Dushmantha Chameera picked up a 5-fer in the last T20I against England. He was bowling at a good pace and was getting the new ball to move around a bit. With Eshan Malinga out, Chameera will now be a key pacer for Sri Lanka.

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Dasun Shanaka
• Maheesh Theekshana
• George Dockrell
• Ross Adair

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Sri Lanka has lost four of their past five T20Is.
• Wanindu Hasaranga in T20Is vs Ireland: 2 inns, 3 wickets, avg. 12.33, econ. 4.62. He also has 71 runs at a strike rate of 151.06.
• Kusal Mendis struck 68* in his only T20I against Ireland in 2022.
• Maheesh Theekshana has five wickets in two matches against Ireland (avg. 7.20, econ. 4.50).
• Josh Little against Sri Lanka: 2 inns, 4 wickets, avg. 17.00, econ. 8.50.
• Paul Stirling in T20Is since the start of 2025: 14 matches, 233 runs, avg. 19.41, SR 133.14.

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 6th Match: SL vs IRE Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 6th Match: SL vs IRE Match Prediction: Who will win?

It’s difficult to say which side will win for this game. While Sri Lanka has more quality on paper, their current form tells a different story. They’ll have to be on their toes as a team. Ireland, meanwhile, has good depth and quality and some true match-winners with them. They’ve also been in good form as a team.

Sri Lanka to win.

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All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo, and Cricmetric.