Two matches, two losses and their qualification hopes hanging by a thread – that sums up the situation for both Ireland and Oman at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. With a place in the Super Eight now looking unlikely, both teams are left trying to convince themselves that their performances have been better than the results suggest.
Oman, in particular, have several concerns to fix quickly. Their bowling attack has struggled badly, most notably against Sri Lanka, who piled up a daunting 225 against them. The batting hasn’t fared much better either, managing scores of just 103 all out and 120 for 9 in their outings so far. The lack of partnerships and inability to contain opposition batters have put them under constant pressure.
Ireland, on the other hand, have shown glimpses of competitiveness with both bat and ball but have paid the price for sloppy fielding. Across their two matches, they have dropped nine catches – costly mistakes at this level. Adding to their troubles, captain Paul Stirling has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament due to a knee injury, leaving the side without one of its most experienced leaders.
IRE vs OMA, T20 World Cup 2026: Match Details
- Date and Time: February 14 (Saturday); 11:00 am IST / 5:30 am GMT
- Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
IRE vs OMA, Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
Matches played: 6 | Ireland won: 4 | Oman won: 2
Sinhalese Sports Club Pitch Report
The Sinhalese Sports Club pitch in Colombo usually offers a fair contest that changes character as the match unfolds. Early on, batters benefit from consistent bounce and a quick outfield, making the powerplay ideal for fluent stroke-play and rapid scoring. As overs pass, the surface begins to slow and dry areas start to grip, bringing spin bowlers firmly into the game. This often makes the middle and death overs tougher for batters, as timing the ball becomes more challenging.
Past matches at the venue show that although teams often attempt to chase, a first-innings total of around 170 or more can become difficult to overhaul once the pitch wears.
Squads
Oman: Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Wasim Ali, Vinayak Shukla(w), Jiten Ramanandi, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Shah Faisal, Jay Odedra, Shakeel Ahmed, Karan Sonavale, Ashish Odedara, Shafiq Jan
Ireland: Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (c & wk), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Tim Tector, Joshua Little, Benjamin White, Craig Young, Sam Topping
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IRE vs OMA, T20 World Cup 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Ireland wins the toss and bats first
- Ireland’s powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
- Ireland’s total score: 160-170
Case 2:
- Oman wins the toss and bats first
- Oman’s powerplay score: 30-40 (6 overs)
- Oman’s total score: 130-140
Match result: Ireland to win the contest
