Australia get their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign underway with a Group B fixture against Ireland at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on February 11.
Ireland came into the match after a 20-run loss to Sri Lanka, where a steady chase slipped away after they conceded 163 for 6. For Australia, this is a first look at tournament conditions, while Ireland will be keen to avoid falling behind early in a competitive group.
Lets take a look at the match previews and which team favours the odds in this article.
AUS vs IRE Match Details, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
The Australia vs Ireland Group B match will be played as a day-night fixture at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 11, with both teams operating under familiar conditions.
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Australia vs Ireland, 14th Match, Group B |
| Date | February 11, 2026 |
| Time | 3:00 PM local |
| Venue | R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
| Format | T20 International |
| Tournament | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Match Type | Day-Night (D/N) |
AUS vs IRE Match Odds Today, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Bookmakers have Australia as the clear favourite, with Ireland priced as the underdog across platforms.
| Betting Platform | Australia Win | Ireland Win | Australia Toss | Ireland Toss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 1.30 | 3.40 | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| 10CRIC | 1.32 | 3.30 | 1.89 | 1.89 |
| Betway | 1.31 | 3.35 | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| Bet365 | 1.33 | 3.25 | 1.89 | 1.89 |
AUS vs IRE Squads For T20 World Cup 2026
Australia Squad
Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Ireland Squad
Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Paul Stirling, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Mark Adair, George Dockrell, Curtis Campher, Josh Little, Gareth Delany, Andrew Balbirnie, Ben White, Craig Young, Fionn Hand
AUS vs IRE Recent T20I Form (Last 5 Matches)
Australia arrives with a poor recent T20I run, while Ireland’s mixed results show they are capable of competing but lack consistency across matches.
| Team | Recent Form |
|---|---|
| Australia | L, NR, L, L, L |
| Ireland | W, L, W, W, L |
AUS vs IRE Head-to-Head in T20Is
Australia has won both previous T20I meetings against Ireland, including their most recent encounter in 2022.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 2 |
| Australia Wins | 2 |
| Ireland Wins | 0 |
| Last Meeting | Australia won by 42 runs (2022) |
AUS vs IRE Pitch Report: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
The Colombo surface generally offers early help for pace bowlers before settling into a reliable batting pitch, keeping both disciplines in the game.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Pitch Behaviour | Balanced surface with early pace assistance; settles into consistent batting conditions |
| Batting Assistance | True bounce supports strokeplay; average first-innings scores range between 165 and 170 |
| Bowling Assistance | New-ball movement for fast bowlers; limited turn for spinners, who rely on variations |
| Ground Dimensions | Longer straight boundaries, shorter square boundaries, and a quick outfield |
| T20I First Innings Score | Average around 165–170 runs; totals of 175+ considered competitive |
| Toss & Dew Factor | Chasing is slightly preferred in night matches; the pitch remains largely consistent through both innings |
The surface tends to slow marginally in the middle overs but remains consistent for strokeplay once batters are set.
AUS vs IRE Weather Forecast, Colombo
Warm conditions are expected in Colombo, with little rain threat and the possibility of dew later in the evening.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Around 29–31°C |
| Weather | Partly cloudy |
| Rain Threat | Low chance of brief showers |
| Humidity | Moderate to high |
| Dew Factor | Possible in the second innings |
AUS vs IRE Players To Watch (Recent T20I Stats)
Batters
Mitchell Marsh and Harry Tector have been the most reliable run-scorers for their sides in recent T20Is, providing stability in the middle order.
| Player | Team | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Marsh | AUS | 218 runs in 9 matches, Avg 43.6, SR 154.6 |
| Marcus Stoinis | AUS | 112 runs in 8 matches, SR 124.44 |
| Harry Tector | IRE | 327 runs in 10 matches, Avg 40.88 |
| Lorcan Tucker | IRE | 193 runs in 10 matches |
Bowlers
Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa lead Australia’s wicket-taking options, while Matthew Humphreys has been Ireland’s most effective bowler in recent matches
| Player | Team | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Ellis | AUS | 9 wickets in 5 matches, Econ 8.02 |
| Adam Zampa | AUS | 9 wickets in 5 matches |
| Matthew Humphreys | IRE | 14 wickets in 10 matches, Econ 6.7 |
| Barry McCarthy | IRE | 14 wickets in 9 matches |
AUS vs IRE T20 World Cup 2026 Free Live Streaming & Telecast Details
The match will be available on official broadcasters across India, Australia, the UK, North America, and other regions via ICC-approved platforms.
| Region / Country | TV Broadcast | Live Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports Network | JioHotstar / JioStar app |
| Pakistan | PTV Sports | Tamasha, ARY Zapp, Tapmad |
| Sri Lanka | Dialog TV | Dialog Play |
| UK & Ireland | Sky Sports | NOW |
| Australia | — | Prime Video |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport NZ | Sky Go |
| USA & Canada | Willow TV | Willow TV app (USA matches also on YouTube) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport | SuperSport app |
| Bangladesh | T Sports, Nagorik TV | Rabbithole |
| Middle East & North Africa | CricLife Max | StarzPlay |
| Caribbean | ESPN | ESPN app |
| Netherlands | NOS | NOS digital |
| Rest of the World | — | ICC.tv (free streaming) |
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AUS vs IRE Match Preview and Prediction Conclusion
Australia enters the AUS vs IRE T20 World Cup 2026 match as the stronger side based on squad depth, recent form, and head-to-head record. Ireland showed fight against Sri Lanka but struggled to finish the chase under pressure.
Conditions at Colombo are expected to suit disciplined bowling and calculated batting. A strong start will be crucial for Ireland to challenge Australia in this Group B contest.
