ICC World Cup: Ireland, Oman meet in must-win clash
What's the story
Ireland and Oman are set to face off in a crucial Group B match of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. The match will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Saturday. Both teams lost their respective first two games in the tournament, making this encounter vital for their chances of avoiding the bottom spot in their group. Here is the preview of the contest.
Team analysis
Ireland's fight has been commendable
Ireland have shown glimpses of competitiveness despite losing both their group games. They gave a tough fight to Sri Lanka in their opener and managed to apply pressure on Australia at times. However, the team's batting depth and middle-overs stability have been a concern, with promising positions not turning into match-shaping passages. For Ireland, it's all about getting the small moments right as they look for their first win in this tournament.
Team performance
Oman have struggled to find their footing
Oman have had a tougher time in the tournament, suffering heavy defeats against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The team has struggled to put together a complete performance across departments. While there have been brief moments of resistance with the bat, their bowling unit hasn't consistently threatened stronger line-ups or built sustained pressure. Against Ireland, Oman will need to improve their intensity and control if they are to turn competitiveness into genuine contention.
Game details
Pitch report and other details
The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo has hosted 10 T20I matches so far. Out of these, six have been won by chasing teams. This clearly indicates a bias toward the chasing team at this venue. The pitch is expected to be spin-friendly as the match will be played in the afternoon. Fans can catch the action live on Star Sports Network or stream it online via the JioHotstar app and website (11:am IST).
Match history
Here is the head-to-head record
Ireland and Oman have faced each other six times in T20Is, with Ireland winning four of those encounters. Since 2019, Ireland have been unbeaten against Oman. However, for this match, skipper Paul Stirling has been ruled out after injuring his knee while attempting a catch against Australia. Vice-captain Lorcan Tucker is set to lead the side in Stirling's absence.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
Ireland (Probable XI): Tim Tector, Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (c & wk), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys. Oman (Probable XI): Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Jay Odedra.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Albeit in a losing cause, George Dockrell scored 41 runs for Ireland off 29 balls against Australia. Mark Adair has taken the most wickets for Ireland in T20Is - 142 at 19.54. Oman's Aamir Kaleem, a versatile asset who scored a match-winning 80 off 47 balls against Sri Lanka in the warm-ups, could be key in Oman's giant-slaying ambitions. Mohammad Nadeem has taken 40 T20I wickets at an economy of 7.61.