Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu led from the front with a stunning century to guide her side to a dominant nine-wicket win over Ireland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Bristol on Tuesday.
Chasing a modest target of 131, Athapaththu looked in control throughout the innings. She reached her century in just 59 balls. The left-hand batter remained unbeaten on 106 off 61 balls, including 17 boundaries and two sixes, at a strike rate of 171.77. It was the fourth T20I century of her career and her first hundred in a Women’s T20 World Cup.
During the post-match presentation, Athapaththu, the Player of the Match, reflected on her knock and said, “I love Bristol. I played my natural game and scored a hundred, but more importantly, we won.”
Interestingly, Bristol has been a memorable venue for Athapaththu, as it was the same ground where she scored an unbeaten 178 against Australia during the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Sri Lanka chased down the target in just 15.3 overs. The team is currently in fourth position in the Group B points table, with two wins from four matches. They will next face Scotland on 26 June in Manchester.
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