West Indies beat Sri Lanka to level T20 series

West Indies won by 7 wickets with four balls remaining against Sri Lanka in the first T20 of the Sri Lanka tour of West Indies 2026, with Jason Holder earning Player of the Match honours after his three-wicket spell set up the chase. Shai Hope then anchored the pursuit with 65 as West Indies reached 149/3 in 19.2 overs to level the series at 1-1.

This was Match 4 of the tour and the format switch finally produced a full contest after an uneven ODI leg. Sri Lanka had won the opening ODI by 41 runs, before the second match ended in no result and the third was abandoned without a ball bowled. West Indies have now drawn level in the overall series context at 1-1, with two more T20s still to come on June 13 and June 14 before the tour moves into a three-Test leg starting on June 18.

Sri Lanka posted 147/9 from their 20 overs, built largely around Kamindu Mendis’ 51 and Kusal Mendis’ 36. Dasun Shanaka added 22, but West Indies kept dragging the innings back through the middle and at the death. Holder and Shamar Joseph both finished with three wickets, while Roston Chase chipped in with one, ensuring Sri Lanka never quite broke free despite getting multiple starts.

The key to the innings was West Indies’ ability to break momentum whenever Sri Lanka threatened to accelerate. Kamindu Mendis held the batting together with a half-century, and Kusal Mendis gave the top order some shape with 36, yet the innings stalled short of a truly imposing total. With Holder striking three times and Shamar Joseph matching him wicket for wicket, Sri Lanka’s 147 always looked competitive rather than commanding.

In reply, West Indies chased with relative control even if Sri Lanka found moments of resistance. Shai Hope led the way with 65, providing the calm centre of the innings, while Brandon King contributed 37 at the top. Shimron Hetmyer added 17 as the home side moved to 149/3 in 19.2 overs.

Sri Lanka’s best chance of defending the total came through Wanindu Hasaranga, who returned 2/32 from his four overs and accounted for two of the three wickets to fall. Eshan Malinga supported with 1/26 in four overs, while Maheesh Theekshana was the most economical of the attack with 0/20 from four overs. But the lack of breakthroughs from Dilshan Madushanka, who went for 39 in 3.2 overs, and Dushmantha Chameera, who conceded 32 in four, allowed West Indies to keep the asking rate manageable deep into the chase.

Hope’s innings proved decisive because it denied Sri Lanka a collapse to exploit. King’s 37 gave the chase a platform, and once West Indies were set, they did not need a late scramble. Instead, they paced the pursuit carefully, absorbing Theekshana’s control and minimizing the impact of Hasaranga before closing out the target with seven wickets in hand.

Holder’s all-round influence was not required with the bat, but his earlier spell had already shaped the result. On a night when Sri Lanka needed 160-plus to really pressure West Indies, his three wickets ensured they were left short. That difference showed in the chase, where one substantial innings from Hope was enough to tip the match decisively toward the hosts.

Key performers

• Jason Holder – Player of the Match, 3 wickets for West Indies
• Shamar Joseph – 3 wickets for West Indies
• Shai Hope – 65 runs for West Indies in the chase
• Brandon King – 37 runs at the top of the order
• Kamindu Mendis – 51 runs for Sri Lanka
• Wanindu Hasaranga – 2/32 in 4 overs
• Eshan Malinga – 1/26 in 4 overs
• Maheesh Theekshana – 0/20 in 4 overs

NerdSports Stat: Sri Lanka had three batters pass 20, but West Indies still kept them to 147/9 – and then needed only one fifty, from Shai Hope, to finish the chase with seven wickets in hand.

The result levels the series at 1-1 and keeps the white-ball leg alive heading into the next two T20s on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14. After that, the tour turns to the longer format with Tests beginning on June 18, June 25 and July 3.

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