Ireland lost their first match to Sri Lanka while Australia will play their tournament opener against IRE
The match will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo
Pitch report and Colombo weather forecast details listed
Australia kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland with a slightly under-strength squad missing key pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood through injury, and with Tim David also doubtful, putting pressure on guys like Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head and Nathan Ellis to step up.
The former champions have had a mixed build-up and came off a 3-0 series loss in Pakistan, but their depth and experience still make them the favourites in this clash.
Ireland, led by Paul Stirling, will be eager to bounce back after a 20-run defeat to Sri Lanka, where a strong batting effort was undermined by fielding lapses.
They’ve shown they can trouble bigger teams with quality spinners like George Dockrell and Gareth Delany who bowled well in their opener. With limited head-to-head history against Australia in T20Is, this match offers Ireland a chance to spring an upset and gain momentum in the qualification race.
AUS Vs IRE, T20 World Cup 2026: Colombo Weather Forecast
For AUS vs IRE in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Colombo on February 11, conditions at R. Premadasa Stadium are expected to be partly cloudy with pleasant, warm weather and little to no rain forecast, making a full match likely, with temperatures around the low-30s °C and typical February heat and humidity in Colombo. Overall, February in the city brings warm tropical weather with occasional light showers but low rain risk on match day.
AUS Vs IRE, T20 World Cup 2026: R. Premadasa Stadium Pitch Report
The pitch at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo for AUS vs IRE in the T20 World Cup 2026 is expected to be slow and spin-friendly, offering grip for spinners as the match progresses and assisting bowlers more than flat tracks, making it a low–medium scoring surface. Teams often post totals in the 140-150 range here, so anything above 165 could be competitive.
AUS Vs IRE, T20 World Cup 2026: Predicted XIs
Australia: 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: Paul Stirling(c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker(w), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys
AUS Vs IRE, T20 World Cup 2026: Squads
Australia: Mitchell Marsh(c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis(w), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David
Ireland: Paul Stirling(c), Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker(w), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Tim Tector, Joshua Little, Benjamin White, Craig Young
AUS Vs IRE, T20 World Cup 2026: Live Streaming
The AUS Vs IRE match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network. It will also be streamed live on the Jio Hotstar app. The match will begin at 03:00 PM IST, while the toss will take place at 02:30 AM.
