Australia will kickstart their campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against Ireland. The AUS vs IRE match will be Ireland’s second game in the tournament after their campaign started against the hosts, Sri Lanka. Australia comes off a massive loss to Pakistan; however, they are still among the favourites going into this contest.
While Mitchell Marsh will be leading them in the ICC T20 World Cup for the first time, Ireland will be led by their most experienced batter, Paul Stirling. Australia have sustained several injuries coming into the tournament and have struggled to capitalise against spin, which is crucial to play on the subcontinent tracks.
This article will cover the AUS vs IRE Match No. 14 preview, including the pitch report, weather forecast, head-to-head records, probable playing XIs, and live streaming details.
AUS vs IRE T20 World Cup Match Preview:
Match Date: The Australia vs Ireland match will be played on Wednesday, February 11th.
Venue: The match will take place at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Time: The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM IST.
AUS vs IRE Squads:
Australia Squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa
Ireland Squad: Paul Stirling (c), Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, and Craig Young.
AUS vs IRE Probable XIs:
Australia Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Cooper Connolly, Glenn Maxwell, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, and Adam Zampa/Matthew Kuhnemann.
Ireland Playing XI: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Ben Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Josh Little, and Matthew Humphreys.
AUS vs IRE Match No. 14 Key Battles
Paul Stirling vs Cooper Connolly
Veteran Irish batter Paul Stirling has many records to his advantage as he arrives in India. Stirling has put on a pile of runs for Ireland over all these years and will once again be seen taking guard of the innings during the powerplay. He will have to face Cooper Connolly, who might once again be handed the ball within the power play. Connolly can find some grip on the surface and will be crucial for Australia’s success in the power play.
Travis Head vs Mark Adair
Mark Adair has been part of the Irish setup for a long time; however, when the matches are likely to be played in the subcontinent, it is very difficult to resist the runs from legendary Travis Head’s bat. To stop the Aussies from taking the game away early, the explosive opening batter from Australia is likely to be stopped at first.
Mitchell Marsh vs Josh Little
The Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh is another explosive top-order batter for the Kangaroos. Marsh recently played with sublime finesse in the Perth Scorchers lineup, and a lot would depend on him for the success of Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign. Josh Little, the left-arm pacer, can shape away from Mitchell Marsh and bring his edge into play.
Tim David vs Gareth Delany
The explosive Australian batter is likely to be back in the Australian batting order after he was ruled out of the BBL and the Pakistan series due to injuries. David is the most in-form batter in the Aussie deck, and his return would bolster their middle order. Delany, the leg-spinner, can be used to dismiss the big-hitting middle-order maestro, as he often aims at launching the spinners, but at times also loses his shape to get caught in the deep.
AUS vs IRE Match No. 14 Key Players:
Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa
Ireland: Paul Stirling, Josh Little, Harry Tector, Mark Adair
AUS vs IRE Match No. 14 – Free Live Streaming and Telecast Details
TV Broadcast in India: The fourteenth match of the T20 World Cup 2026 between Australia and Ireland will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network.
Online Live Streaming in India: Fans can watch the match live on the Jio Hotstar app/website.
AUS vs IRE Weather and Pitch Report – Colombo
AUS vs IRE Weather Report in Colombo:
The weather in Colombo for Wednesday’s match is expected to be ideal for cricket. Though the chance of precipitation is very low, the temperature will be soaring high during the daytime, and hence, the team batting first will be fatigued on the track, which anyway resists scoring quick runs.
AUS vs IRE Pitch Report at R. Premadasa Stadium:
The pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium is a friendly track for spinners. The ball starts with an overspin early on and often finds some great grip on the surface, which makes it further difficult for batters to chase on this ground. Such tracks help the team batting first, as it is a low-scoring ground with average runs of around 150 in the first innings.
AUS vs IRE Head-to-Head Records
| Stats | Matches | AUS Won | IRE Won | Draw | Tied | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| In T20 World Cup | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Last 5 T20Is* | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
AUS vs IRE Head-to-Head Records: Key Statistics
As per ESPNCricinfo, Australia and Ireland have not faced each other several times in the shortest format of the game. However, Australia were the only team victorious on all occasions, while Ireland could not manage a single win.
AUS vs IRE Head-to-Head Records: Last Matches
Australia have been the dominating side in recent encounters, which includes the two convincing wins in past World Cup editions. The gap in experience has been a key factor in these results. The duo have once played in the ICC T20 World Cup against the same opposition at the same venue.
AUS vs IRE Head-to-Head Records – Results of Previous Matches:
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Australia won by 42 runs in Brisbane (T20 World Cup 2022)
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Australia won by 7 wickets in Colombo (T20 World Cup 2012)
