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Oman Bowl First in Crucial T20 WC Clash Against Ireland

Oman has won the toss and chosen to bowl first against Ireland in a critical Group B match at the T20 World Cup. Both teams face elimination from Super 8 contention if they lose this encounter. Oman's captain, Jatinder Singh, cited the new pitch and a desire to improve their batting as reasons for bowling first. Ireland's captain, Lorcan Tucker, emphasized the need for positive thinking and moving past the injury to key player Paul Stirling.

Key Points: Oman vs Ireland T20 WC: Do-or-Die Group B Match

  • Oman wins toss and bowls first
  • Must-win for both teams
  • Oman makes two changes
  • Joshua Little returns for Ireland
2 min read

T20 WC: Oman opt to bowl against Ireland in do or die Group B clash

Oman elects to bowl in a must-win T20 World Cup match against Ireland. Both teams face elimination. Get live updates and playing XIs.

"We just want to focus on small, small things. - Jatinder Singh"

Colombo, Feb 14

Oman won the toss and elected to bowl against Ireland in their third match of the 2026 T20 World Cup here at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Saturday.

This Group B encounter is a do or die for both Ireland and Oman. Whoever loses will be out of contention for Super 8 stage.

After winning the toss, Oman Captain Jatinder Singh said, "Yeah, we're gonna bowl first since it's a new pitch, so we just wanna bowl first. Yeah, true. We just want to focus on small, small things. What we have done, I mean, the last two games, the batting didn't click, so we're just focusing to bat in the right way."

"Just try to be in the present and try not to make mistakes. Yeah, absolutely. We never expected that SSC have got a bounce that way. But yeah, in a power play, if you lose about four wickets, almost the team's height is gone, so it is difficult to come back in the game. There are two changes. We have Shakeel and Ashish coming to the side," he added.

Spinner Joshua Little is back in the Ireland playing XI after missing the previous match.

While Ireland captain Locran Tucker said, "Yeah, I think in these situations, you really have to think positively. We see this as a good opportunity to get our club in and really get some momentum in the last game against Zimbabwe."

Speaking about Paul Stirling being ruled out of the tournament due to injury, Tucker said, " Obviously a massive shame and such a big figure in our team, but I think it's just something that's happened. It's unfortunate. We have to try to move on and compete otherwise. No, I think we talked so much about the character, about our reserve. I think it's important as part of being a professional to come back and really perform when you haven't got it so well. So I think we'll be looking to do that tonight."

Playing XIs

Ireland: Ross Adair, Tim Tector, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk/c), Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Joshua Little

Oman: Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza, Ashish Odedara, Mohammad Nadeem, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmed

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
Interesting toss decision by Oman. Bowling first on a new pitch could backfire if Ireland posts a big total. Without Paul Stirling, Ireland's batting looks a bit weaker, but they have depth. Should be a close one!
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Ananya R
Love seeing Associate nations in the spotlight! Both teams have fought hard to get here. As an Indian fan, it's great for global cricket. Wishing both teams the best of luck – may the better team win! 🤞
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Vikram M
Oman's captain is right about focusing on small things. In such high-pressure games, one dropped catch or a poor over can cost you the tournament. Hope they've learned from the last two matches.
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Michael C
Joshua Little being back is a big boost for Ireland. His pace and variations in the powerplay could be key against Oman's top order, which has struggled. Tucker's positive talk is good, but they need to execute on the field.
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Kavya N
Respectfully, I feel the article could have given a bit more context on the Group B standings. But the match itself promises fireworks! Hoping for a last-over finish. Time to order some snacks and enjoy the game! 🏏

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