during T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Ireland On February 8, 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka’s spin maestro Mahesh Theekshana It provided the defining moment of the Powerplay. Defending a competitive total of 163/6, the co-hosts knew that Ireland’s captain’s wicket and danger man Paul Stirling was the key to unlock the chase.
T20 World Cup 2026: Maheesh Theekshana opens Paul Stirling’s yorks and iconic ‘bowler’ celebration
The leap reached 4th place (3.2) with absolute precision. After a slow start, Stirling (6 of 13) attempted to charge down the track to solve the mystery spinner. Anticipating the move, Theekshana fired a lightning fast yorker at the base of middle stump.
To the surprise of the Ireland captain, the ball fell under Stirling’s bat and crashed into the woodwork before he could complete his swing. Without missing a beat, Theekshana broke into his trademark “Sagittarius” celebration, mimicking the release of an arrow into the night sky as his teammates cheered him on. A symbolic ‘bullseye’ gesture perfectly captured the surgical nature of the dismissal, leaving Ireland early in their chase of 164.
We present the video:
A quick change of pace and Maheesh Theekshana gets the better of Paul Striling! Will Sri Lanka defend the total?âš¡
ICC Men #T20WorldCup | #SLVIRE | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/AaKfib9jeV pic.twitter.com/2MPsgGkL97
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 8, 2026
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Ireland’s 164 against Sri Lanka’s spin trio
Theekshana’s early knock opened the floodgates for a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack that exploited the “dry and slow” Colombo surface to perfection. After Stirling’s speech, Wanindu Hasaranga he kept the pressure from the other end and finally removed it Ross Adair A quick 34 for 8 after 8 overs to leave Ireland struggling at 56/2. Sri Lanka’s tactical decision is to use three different spinners, Theekshana, Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalagefor the first nine overs, Ireland successfully stifled the run rate, making hitting the boundary a difficult task.
Despite the serious effort Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker the run rate required to rebuild steadily rose towards 10 runs. R. Premadasa crowd remains in high spirits and feels the win as the ‘spin-twins’ continue to dominate the middle overs. With Ireland needing a monumental finish to pull off the upset, Theekshana’s opening masterclass remains the talk of the town with both hosts.
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