New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS): On the back of their maiden Women’s Asia Cup triumph, the Sri Lanka women’s team will be touring Ireland for a white-ball series, starting from August 11. The tour will begin with a two-match T20I series, and is followed by a three-game ODI series.
Last week, Sri Lanka, ranked seventh on the ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings, beat defending champions India by eight wickets in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final at Dambulla, with captain Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samawickrama smashing superb half-centuries.
The two T20Is against Ireland at Pembroke, Dublin on August 11 and 13 respectively will serve as more vital preparation for Sri Lanka in their build-up to the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, to be held in Bangladesh in October. Sri Lanka have three wins from their previous three T20I meetings against Ireland.
The three-match ODI series between the two teams – to be held on August 16, 18 and 20 – at Stormont, Belfast, will be a part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, crucial to determining teams securing automatic qualification for 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.
Sri Lanka are at fifth place with 20 points against their name, while Ireland at the bottom of the table with just two points. In four ODI meetings between the two sides, Sri Lanka have won thrice while one match ended in no result.