Ireland Cricket unveiled their 15-player lineup for the upcoming tournament recently. Paul Stirling captains the side for his 9th T20 World Cup. The Ireland squad for T20 World Cup 2026 keeps most players from last time.
Lorcan Tucker gets the vice-captain role under Stirling’s leadership. The wicketkeeper-batter brings solid experience to that deputy position. Continuity matters when building team chemistry over multiple tournaments.
Twelve players return from the previous World Cup edition already. That’s serious continuity in the Ireland squad right there. Only three fresh faces join the group this year.
New Blood Joins Veterans
Tim Tector, Ben Calitz, and Matthew Humphreys are the newcomers. These three earned their spots through strong recent performances. Fresh energy always helps teams during long tournaments honestly.
Stirling remains their highest T20I run-scorer by miles. His experience captaining in eight previous World Cups is invaluable. The leading team in the ninth edition shows selectors trust him.
The T20 World Cup 2026 runs from February 7 to March 8. Sri Lanka and India host matches across their venues. They open against hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo on February 8.
Ireland Squad Announcement for the T20 World Cup 2026:
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
Redemption After 2024 Disappointment
Andrew White, team men’s selector, spoke honestly about recent form. The 2024 World Cup was a disaster for them. After their brilliant 2022 showing, last year hurt badly.
They reached the Super 8 round back in 2009 and 2022. They famously beat West Indies and England in 2022. Those giant-killing performances showed what a team can achieve sometimes.
But 2024 brought underperformance and early elimination disappointment. The Players list this year wants to fix those mistakes. Rectifying last year’s failures drives this entire squad’s motivation.
Tough Group, No Fear
Group B looks brutally competitive on paper right now. Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman, and Zimbabwe await them. Playing host to Sri Lanka first makes things harder immediately.
White mentioned the team has no fear despite tough opponents. They’ve faced these teams in recent tournaments before. Familiarity with opposition helps reduce intimidation factors significantly.
Recent tours to Sri Lanka and India have helped preparations massively. The squad knows the conditions there from actual match experience. That firsthand knowledge beats theoretical planning every single time.
Final Preparations Underway
Ireland plays warm-up matches against Italy and the UAE beforehand. These practice games help fine-tune combinations before the real action. The T20 World Cup 2026 needs their firing from match one.
The players combine experience with hungry newcomers perfectly. This balance could surprise bigger teams who underestimate them. The team loves playing the underdog role anyway.
