ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Group B analysis featuring Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe

Samira Vishwas

Tezzbuzz|06-02-2026

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is set to start from February 7 onwards. India and Sri Lanka are the co-hosts of the tournament. Group B of the tournament features the likes of Australia, Sri Lanka, Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

February 8 sees the 1st match of Group B. Sri Lanka will take on Ireland at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.  

Notably, this is an interesting group, and one expects tough battles on offer.

Two teams from this 5-side group will progress to the Super 8s. The Super 8s will also be divided into two groups, and the two sides from there will progress to the last 4.

The 2026 ICC T20 World Cup is the tournament’s 10th edition. The event had its inaugural campaign in 2007. India are the defending champions, having won the title last time in 2024.

Ahead of the tournament, here we present key details of Oman, Ireland, and Zimbabwe from Group B.

Oman

Oman are set to feature in their 4th T20 World Cup campaign. They made their debut in 2016, exiting in the 1st round. In 2021, they exited from the first round once again. In 2024, they made a group-stage exit. They have played 10 matches in the tournament so far, winning 2 and losing 7 (NR: 1).

Oman qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 by advancing through the Asia & East Asia-Pacific (EAP) Regional Qualifier (held in Oman at Al Amerat). They topped the group stage, which had Samoa and PNG. Thereafter, they finished 2nd in the Super 6, behind Nepal. Alongside 3rd-placed UAE, they made it to the global tourney.

Oman squad for T20 World Cup: Jatinder Singh (c), Vinayak Shukla, Mohammad Nadeem, Shakeel Ahmad, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Shah Faisal, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra, Shafiq Jan, Ashish Odedara, Jiten Ramanandi, Hasnain Ali Shah.

Players to watch out for: Skipper Jatinder Singh will be a key figure for Oman. The Punjab-born 36-year-old batsman has made 72 T20I appearances. He owns 1605 runs at an average of 24.69. He owns nine fifties.

Schedule of Oman at T20 World Cup 2026

Oman vs Zimbabwe – February 9, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo

Sri Lanka vs Oman – February 12, Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy

Ireland vs Oman – February 14, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo

Australia vs Oman — February 20, Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy

Oman’s 1st match will start at 3:00 pm IST. This will be followed by 11:00 am IST affairs. Their 4th clash versus Australia will start at 7:00 pm IST.

Ireland

The Irish cricket team is playing in its 9th T20 World Cup. They missed qualification for the 2007 edition. Since then, they have made the cut in each of the T20 World Cup events. They reached the Super 8 in 2009 before exiting from the group stage in each of the next 4 events. In 2021, they bowed out of the 1st round. In 2022, they reached the Super 12. In 2024, they once again made a group-stage exit.

Ireland have 7 wins and 18 defeats in the global event. Three of their matches had no results, whereas two games were abandoned.

Ireland qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup through the ICC T20I team rankings. They didn’t need to play in a regional qualifier because their consistent performances in T20 internationals over the past few years kept them among the highest-ranked teams outside the automatic 2024 World Cup qualifiers. This ranking-based route reflects Ireland’s steady rise in global T20 cricket, rewarding consistency and results across bilateral series and ICC events.

Ireland squad for T20 World Cup: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Matthew Humphreys, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Players to watch out for: Paul Stirling recently became the most capped player in T20Is. From 161 matches, he has scored 3888 runs at 26.44. He owns one ton and 24 fifties.

Schedule of Ireland at the T20 World Cup

Ireland vs Sri Lanka – February 8, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Ireland vs Australia – February 11, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Ireland vs Oman – February 14, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo

Ireland vs Zimbabwe – February 17, Pallekele International Stadium, Pallekele

Their first match will start at 7:00 pm IST. The 2nd clash will start at 3:00 pm IST. The next two games are at 3:00 pm IST and 3:00 pm IST.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe will feature in their 7th ICC T20 World Cup. The Zimbabwe side made its debut in the global tournament back in 2007. They suffered exits from the group stages in 2010 and 2012. In 2014 and 2016, they were ousted in the 1st round. In 2022, they made it to the Super 12. From 8 matches, they have three wins and 4 defeats (NR: 1).

Zimbabwe earned its spot in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 by excelling in the Africa Regional Qualifier. They topped their group in the Regional Final and sealed qualification with a semi-final win over Kenya. By reaching the final, Zimbabwe, alongside Namibia, secured one of Africa’s two places at the tournament, showcasing their consistency and strength in the regional competition.

Zimbabwe squad for T20 World Cup: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinodene Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor.

Players to watch out for: Sikandar Raza is a star all-rounder. He holds the cards. With the bat, he has scored 2883 runs at 25.74. He also has 102 scalps at 22.93.

Schedule of Zimbabwe at T20 World Cup

Zimbabwe vs Oman – February 9, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo

Zimbabwe vs Australia – February 13, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Ireland vs Zimbabwe – February 17, Pallekele International Stadium, Pallekele

Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe – February 19, Colombo

Zimbabwe’s opener is scheduled for a 3:00 pm IST start. Their next clash will start at 11:00 am IST. Their last two games will start at 3:00 pm IST.

The post ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Group B analysis featuring Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe appeared first on Read.