Ireland have been drawn with co-hosts Sri Lanka and Australia in Group B for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe and Oman will make up the five-team group.
The Ireland team are presently in Bangladesh, where they will play the first of three T20 internationals against their hosts at Chattogram on Thursday.
Ireland will open their World Cup campaign against co-hosts Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 8th, while a tough start to the tournament continues when they face Australia at the same ground on Wednesday, February 11th.
They will take on Oman at the SSC ground in Colombo on Saturday, February 14th before finishing their group matches against Zimbabwe in Pallekelle on Tuesday February 17th.
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Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will clash in a politically-charged Group A match in Colombo on Sunday, February 15th.
Pakistan will play all their games in Sri Lanka because of their soured political relations with India.
A military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May overshadowed the subsequent Asia Cup in which India refused to accept the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi who is Pakistan’s interior minister.
The 20-team tournament will be played across eight venues – five in India and three in Sri Lanka – between February 7th and March 8th.
The final is scheduled for the western Indian city of Ahmedabad but would be moved to Colombo if Pakistan reach it.
Ireland’s 2026 Twenty20 World Cup Group B fixtures (all times Irish)
Sunday, February 8th: v Sri Lanka, R Premedasa Stadium, Colombo, 1.30pm
Wednesday, February 11th: v Australia, R Premedasa Stadium, Colombo, 9.30am
Saturday, February 14th: v Oman, SSC, Colombo, 5.30am
Tuesday, February 17th: v Zimbabwe, Pallekelle, 9.30am
