In a dominant display at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, Ireland secured their first victory of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a resounding 96-run thrashing of Oman in Group B. Chasing a mammoth 236, Oman’s batsmen crumbled under pressure, managing only 139 in 18 overs.
Oman’s chase started promisingly with opener Aamir Kaleem smashing a brisk 50 off 29 balls, featuring two sixes and five fours. Hammad Mirza provided some resistance lower down, scoring 46 off 37 deliveries with six boundaries and a six. Sufyan Mehmood chipped in with 10, but the rest of the lineup failed miserably, with no other batter reaching double figures.
Ireland’s bowlers were relentless. Joshua Little led the charge with 3-16 from his four overs, while Matthew Humphreys and Becky McCarthy claimed 2 wickets apiece, conceding 27 and 32 runs respectively. George Dockrell picked up one scalp.
Earlier, after losing the toss and batting first, Ireland recovered from a precarious 64-4 to post 235-5. Captain Lorcan Tucker anchored the innings with an unbeaten 94 off 51 balls, blasting four sixes and ten fours. Gareth Delany’s explosive 56 off 30 balls, including four sixes and three fours, formed a crucial 101-run fifth-wicket stand with Tucker over 56 deliveries. Dockrell then unleashed havoc at the death, smashing five sixes in a 35-run blitz off nine balls.
This 235 is Ireland’s highest T20 total and the second-highest in T20 World Cup history, also the biggest in this tournament. For Ireland, it’s a morale-boosting first win in their third match, setting them up nicely in Group B.