Sri Lanka out of Women’s T20 World Cup despite Ireland’s stunning victory over West Indies

Colombo, June 27 (Daily Mirror) - Despite Ireland pulling off a stunning six-wicket upset over the West Indies, Sri Lanka's hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup came to an end on Saturday, as their inferior net run rate proved decisive.

Sri Lanka had kept their slim qualification hopes alive with a dramatic three-wicket win over Scotland a day earlier. However, their chances depended on Ireland securing a convincing victory over the West Indies after Sri Lanka's net run rate suffered due to earlier heavy defeats.

Opting to field first, Ireland produced a disciplined bowling performance to restrict the West Indies to 128 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Cara Murray and Aimee Maguire claimed two wickets each as they kept the Caribbean batters under pressure throughout the innings.

In reply, Ireland comfortably chased down the target, reaching 129 for 4 with 11 balls to spare. All-rounder Orla Prendergast starred with the bat, smashing a match-winning 63 off 44 deliveries, including eight boundaries and two sixes, to guide her side to a memorable victory.

Sri Lanka finished their campaign recording their best-ever group-stage performance at a Women's T20 World Cup.

Led by captain Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka registered three victories in the group stage for the first time in the tournament's history, including a memorable win over Scotland that briefly kept their knockout hopes alive. However, an inferior net run rate ultimately proved costly.

Following their surprising 6-wicket loss to Ireland Women, the West Indies Women can no longer automatically advance and must await the result of the final Group 2 fixture between England and New Zealand to determine their semi-final fate. 

Because the defeat left the West Indies tied with Sri Lanka at 6 points, their final tournament standing heavily relies on New Zealand, who sit at 4 points but possess a game in hand. If England wins that final match, the West Indies will qualify for the semi-finals alongside England due to a superior Net Run Rate (NRR) over Sri Lanka.