COLOMBO: Oman won the toss and elected to field first against Ireland in their Group B fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Saturday.
Skipper Jatinder Singh chose to bowl, signalling his side’s intent to strike early with the ball on a surface expected to offer assistance to bowlers under the midday sun. Oman’s decision reflects their confidence in restricting Ireland with disciplined bowling before launching their chase.
Both teams entered the match yet to open their account in the tournament, making victory vital for their hopes of progressing beyond the group stage. Ireland, led by wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker in the absence of regular captain Paul Stirling, are aiming to translate their flashes of promising cricket into a first win.
Ireland have shown competitive spells in earlier matches against stronger opponents but have fallen short of a breakthrough result so far. Oman, meanwhile, have struggled for momentum, suffering heavy defeats to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe but remain capable of upsets in the associate battle.
The head-to-head between the sides favours Ireland, who have beaten Oman in recent T20 internationals, although Oman recorded a rare World Cup win against them in 2016.
With play set to begin shortly after the toss, Oman will look to leverage early bowling conditions and make an immediate impact in a match both teams must win to keep qualification hopes alive.
