By Leonard Ratnayake
Sri Lankan vice captain Harshitha Samarawickrama says Sri Lanka remain confident of reaching the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals ahead of their final Group B match against Scotland at Old Trafford. Sri Lanka must beat Scotland and rely on favourable results elsewhere, while also improving their net run-rate. Samarawickrama said the team has embraced the challenge.
Much of their confidence comes from captain Chamari Athapaththu, whose unbeaten century against Ireland kept Sri Lanka’s hopes alive. “She’s a living legend in Sri Lankan cricket,” Samarawickrama said. “She’s a role model for us and always shares her knowledge. It’s a great honour to play with her.”
Samarawickrama believes Sri Lanka have made significant progress since their winless 2024 campaign, pointing to their victory over New Zealand as evidence of the team’s development. “This year, we have played really good cricket,” she said. “We won against New Zealand, which was a great achievement in Sri Lankan cricket.”
Despite Scotland sitting below Sri Lanka in the ICC rankings, Samarawickrama expects a tough contest after Scotland’s impressive tournament, which included a first World Cup win over Ireland.
“Scotland are one of the best upcoming teams,” she said. “You can’t undermine any team in this World Cup. We will take it one step at a time, but we believe we can do it.”
Scotland also have plenty to play for, with victory securing automatic qualification for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028. Priyanaz Chatterji said Scotland are determined to finish their campaign on a high.
“We are going into the game to try and win it,” she said. “We still feel like we have got more to give.” She added that automatic qualification provides extra motivation, calling it “a lot at stake.”
Chatterji also praised Athapaththu as “a phenomenal player” but said Scotland would stick to the approach that has served them throughout the tournament. “It is easy to get overwhelmed by the occasion,” she said. “But your margin for error becomes much smaller against the best.”
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