Ireland aim to bounce back, Australia look to polish off any rust

Australia begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland after a delayed start to the tournament. While other teams have already played, Australia have been waiting in Colombo.

Their build-up has been unconventional. They are not tournament favourites and arrive following a 3-0 series loss in Pakistan, where their batters struggled against spin. The pace attack is missing Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, with Nathan Ellis leading it despite a recent hamstring injury.

Ireland, meanwhile, are looking to rebound from a frustrating loss to Sri Lanka. Chasing 164, they were well-placed at 105 for 2 before collapsing to lose by 20 runs. Head coach Heinrich Malan noted they learned from how Sri Lanka "took all the pace off the ball at the death," a tactic they hope to use against Australia. Ireland also aim to improve their fielding after dropping four catches in nine deliveries during their last match.

For Ireland, this is another chance to test a top side. For Australia, it's about shaking off any rust and starting their tournament strongly.

When: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 3:00 PM local time
Where: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
What to expect: The pitch is expected to heavily favour spin and slower bowling. It is historically a bowl-first venue, with chasing teams winning eight of the last nine T20Is here. The weather forecast is fair.

Team News:

• Australia: Mitchell Marsh confirmed Nathan Ellis is fit, but Tim David will miss this match as he continues his recovery.
  • Probable XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann
• Ireland: Likely to stick with a similar lineup despite the loss to Sri Lanka.
  • Probable XI: Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (w), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys

Key Stats:

• Adam Zampa is Australia's leading T20I wicket-taker with 139 wickets.
• Since the last T20 World Cup, Australia has the second-best PowerPlay run-rate (10.05).

Quotes:

"We've done some of that work over the last 24 hours… Very clear around some of the plans that we've got in place for some of the Australian players. And if we can adapt to the situation and the conditions quickly out there, hopefully the boys can execute their skills well tomorrow." – Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan

"We were outplayed by Pakistan. And yeah, we've left it there, and we're ready to move on." – Australia captain Mitchell Marsh