Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has delivered a statement performance in the 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring an unbeaten 106 to lead her team to a nine-wicket win against Ireland.
Athapaththu's stunning century, which is the highest score of the tournament so far, helped Sri Lanka chase down Ireland's total of 120 with ease, with 13.1 overs to spare.
The victory marked a much-needed boost for Sri Lanka, who had been struggling in the tournament. They now have a slim chance of reaching the semi-finals, although they will need to win their remaining matches and hope for favourable results elsewhere.
Athapaththu's performance was all the more impressive considering the challenging conditions at the venue, where the pitch was slow and the outfield was damp. Her unbeaten 106 came off 63 deliveries, and included 10 fours and two sixes.
Speaking after the match, Athapaththu said, 'I'm thrilled with the way the team played. We knew it was going to be a tough match, but we stuck to our plan and executed it well.'
The win also marked a notable success for Sri Lanka's spinners, who bowled Ireland out for a paltry 120. Sri Lanka's spinners, led by Achini Kulasuriya, picked up three wickets each to restrict Ireland's batsmen.
With this win, Sri Lanka have moved up to the fifth spot in the group stage table, and will look to carry their momentum into their next match against South Africa.