Ireland made a group stage exit in T20 World Cup 2024.
Veteran batter Paul Stirling will lead the Ireland T20 World Cup 2026 squad, marking his second consecutive ICC T20 tournament as captain, despite the side’s disappointing outing in the last edition.
All T20 World Cup 2026 Squads: Every Squad Named for the Upcoming ICC Tournament
The Ireland T20 World Cup 2026 squad remains largely consistent as twelve players from their 2024 campaign in the USA and West Indies will continue to represent the country. The selection suggests a focus on stability and an aim to improve upon their previous performance.
Announcing the Ireland T20 World Cup 2026 squad, Andrew White, a selector, mentioned that the mix of seasoned players and newer faces is an attempt to rectify the mistakes of the last season and improve.
“To say we are very much looking forward to this T20 World Cup is an understatement. After a memorable 2022 tournament, we probably weren’t at our best in 2024 – and have been waiting to rectify that ever since,” Ireland’s national men’s team selector Andrew White said.
Tim Tector, 22, brother of Harry Tector, is among the three new faces and offers versatility with top-order batting and off-spin. The 23-year-olds Ben Calitz and Matthew Humphreys are the other new additions. The seasoned campaigners like Josh Little, Mark Adair, Harry Tector, and Lorcan Tucker have retained their places.
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Ireland are placed in Group B with tough opponents like co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman, and Zimbabwe. They will open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Sri Lanka on February 8 in Colombo, a venue where all their group stage games will be held. They will lock horns against mighty Australia on February 11 and Oman on February 14, before the last group stage game against Zimbabwe on February 17.
Ireland did not qualify for the inaugural edition, but they have played in every one since. In 2009, they got to the Super 8s, but after that, they made group stage exits for the next five seasons. In 2022, they performed well enough to reach the Super 12 stage.
While Ireland faced challenges in 2024, they did show their determination. With Stirling leading the strong Ireland T20 World Cup 2026 squad, they are certainly capable of making a few upsets.
Paul Stirling (captain), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker (vice-captain), Ben White, and Craig Young.
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