Semifinal stakes rise as West Indies and Sri Lanka face off

West Indies have made a winning start to their Women's T20 World Cup campaign with victories, albeit close ones, over New Zealand and Scotland. A third straight win would put them in a strong position to reach the semifinals, although their narrow escape against Scotland served as a reminder that little can be taken for granted.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, bounced back from a heavy defeat to England by stunning defending champions New Zealand. With two points from two games, another victory would take them level with West Indies on four points and keep Group B a tight race.

Recent history suggests this won't be straightforward for West Indies either. Sri Lanka beat them 2-0 in a T20I series in the Caribbean earlier this year, and arrive with renewed confidence after their upset win over New Zealand.

When: 21 June 2026, 10:30 AM local / 3:00 PM IST

Where: County Ground, Bristol

What to expect: This will be the first match of this T20 World Cup at this ground, so there's a bit of unknown that both teams will have to navigate.

Team news

West Indies: Both Stafanie Taylor and Chinelle Henry were back in the last match and it's likely going to be an unchanged side barring last-minute injuries.

Probable XI: Qiana Joseph, Hayley Matthews(c), Shemaine Campbelle(w), Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Jahzara Claxton, Jannillea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack

Sri Lanka: They are likely to stick with the same XI after ringing in a few changes for their previous game, including the inclusion of Hasini Perera.

Probable XI: Chamari Athapaththu(c), Vishmi Gunaratne, Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana(w), Sugandika Kumari, Kawya Kavindi, Mithali Ayodhya, Nimasha Meepage

What they said:

"This table is completely blown open, wide open. It's just about trying to win all of our games and not leaving anything to chance...It's just about trying to take each game one at a time and trying to play our best cricket every time we step out on the park. So if we can do that and if we can win all our remaining games, then we're in a better position to qualify instead of relying on other stuff." - Chinelle Henry