Australia, the champions of the 2021 edition, will kick off their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 journey with a Group B clash against Ireland at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, February 10. The encounter marks Australia’s first appearance in the tournament and offers them an early opportunity to set the tone. Ireland, meanwhile, will be eager to test themselves against one of the strongest sides in world cricket on a venue known to assist both batters and spinners as the match progresses. Led by Mitchell Marsh, Australia enter the tournament with a few notable challenges. The team will be without their famed pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, a significant absence in any major competition. The legendary pacer Mitchell Starc has stepped away from the T20 format, while Cummins and Hazlewood were ruled out after failing to regain full fitness in time. Adding to their concerns, Australia are coming off a disappointing 0–3 series defeat against Pakistan, making a strong start in the World Cup even more crucial.

Ireland, meanwhile, will be featuring in their second outing of the tournament after suffering a defeat against Sri Lanka on February 8. With points already dropped, this encounter takes on added significance for them, as another setback could seriously dent their chances of advancing to the Super Eights in the expanded twenty-team competition.

See Also: T20 World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka Lose Key Player, Replacement Announced

T20 World Cup 2026, Match 14, AUS vs IRE: Live Streaming Details

T20 World Cup 2026, Match 14, AUS vs IRE: Probable Playing XI

Australia (AUS):

Mitchell Marsh (C), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (WK), Cooper Connolly, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, and Adam Zampa

Ireland (IRE):

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